First Timers Trip Report, Updated 08/02 with some pics!

[jmskinner]

Yes, this was my first time to the Happiest Place on Earth! A 36 year old woman. Thanks to the help of all the members of the DisBoards, it was a great trip.

Pre-Trip Info:

I have wanted to take our son, DS7, to Disney since he was about 2. My DH would always say we don't have the money. We would say, "let's use the tax refund." Then, it would always go to paying off the credit cards. Just a vicious cycle.

Well, in late February my DH learned he was going to Iraq for a year. We had already discussed that if he went we would take a week long vacation as a family and do something. My DMIL and DBIL planned on coming to our home the first week of July. We were trying to get my DSD, she is never allowed to come see my DH because her mother does not want her to fly. Finally I came up with the idea of going to Disney. My DH totally shocked me by saying, "that's an idea". I had a Disney Vacation Planner video that my best friend had sent me several years before so I asked the DH if he would want to watch it and he did. I was shocked. It was sounding like we were finally going to make it to Disney. Phoned the DMIL and left her a message. She left us a message that it was a great idea and she would be there. I was so excited.

Being my first time, and not knowing about the Boards, I went to the travel agent on base. She was so nice, but extrememly busy so I told her the dates and we were thinking about the POR and she went to work. We spoke back and forth on the phone and finally I went to see her. Airfare was going up by the minute, so even though I went to just talk to her, I booked the trip. I was shaking when I left that office. Scared to death I would have a wreck on base. Went that night and bought suit cases.

So, now it is scheduled, here are the characters in my trip:

Me - 36 year old first timer. Amusement park enthusiats, always wanted to take a two week vacation and hit every park I could come to.
DH - My hero hubby getting ready to deploy to Iraq. His 2nd trip, but it has been 14 years since he was there. He was looking forward to 20,000 Leagues Beneath the Sea. Once I found these boards I had to explain that it was no longer there. I thought he was going to cancel the trip.
DS7 - My boy. Couldn't get excited about the trip because he was scared of the flight. He is severe ADHD and Sensory Processing Disorder so I have worried for 3 months how he would handle the parks and the long lines.
DMIL - This was her 2nd trip, but it had been 14 yrs.
DBIL - He had been once in junior high, but still about 10 yrs ago.
DSD13 - The dreaded teenager (actually, she was wonderful and didn't act like a teenager until she was on the cell phone.)

So, from March until July 1, I plannned. Could not go to Wal-Mart without buying something for the trip. Drove my DH nuts talking about it. During my excitement had to watch him stress about going to Iraq. We even sold his beloved Mustang, so I could save up to buy him a new model when he gets home.

So 06/30/06 we are packing and cleaning our house. My father and his family were going to stay at our house while we were gone so it had to be super clean. My DH wanted to kill me when he saw I had already filled one suitcase with stuff for the trip. Snacks, ponchos, waterproof camera, etc. We finally got packed, finished the house and climbed into bed at Midnight. I thought I would lay awake all night, but cleaning the house exhausted me. I was so glad that at 3:30am when that alarm went off that I had gotten my hair french braided the day before so I did not have to deal with it. We got up, yanked the boy out of bed. I had him sleep in the clothes that he was to wear on the plane. Got to the airport for our 6:30 am flight.

Remember, I mentioned my boy wasn't excited about the trip because of his fear of flying, actually it is the height. Well, we get up in the air and I ask if he is a scared. He says "no", but then quietly says "I hope we will be ok." I thought it was so sweet.

You veterans will love this. We got to MCO and I got confused on where to catch the ME. So we ride the tram over, I think we are at the wrong spot and get back on the tram, only to realize there is no other tram. My DH keeps repeating, "Ok, super planner!". We finally find ME, get on our bus to POR and relax. I am so excited I can't sit still.

We get to POR and my DMIL and DSD are already there. We find our room, only after walking completely around one the buildings. But we are enjoying the scenery. We have 3:30 ADR's for the Sci-Fi Diner so we head to MGM. While waiting for the bus, it starts pouring. We planned on going to Typhoon Lagoon after lunch, so I had everything for it in the carry-on luggage. Guess where the rain ponchos were. That's right, in the luggage that had not been delivered yet.

We get off the bus and stand under the bus stop for cover. It is still just pouring. We slowly move from stop to stop until we can't go any further. We make a mad dash for security where there is more cover. Then to the ticket booth. Finally it is starting to slow down, so we move on inside the park. My poor DSD slipped and fell right there on the main street in front of everyone. When we get to the ABC Theatre, it starts pouring again, so we stop there.

We figure out where the restaurant is and head over.

Got to Sci-Fi and thought there would be a long wait. They seated use within 5 minutes! We enjoyed ourselves and our lunch. Could not believe the food that we got with the Dining Plan.

Could not leave MGM without riding Star Tours. We loved it. My DMIL made so much noise that I told her I wanted to ride every ride with her! Browsed the store, told my son not to buy anything, that he still has 6 more days to buy stuff and we would be back.

If anyone is reading this I will continue later. Things to come, me totally ticked off at the DMIL, arrival of the DBIL, and the DH's feet swelling (not in that order).

 

[cjnix29]

Sounds like an interesting trip!! Hopefully it turned out to be the vacation you needed! I wish your husband all the best in Iraq. Thank him for his service.

 

[nataliz]

I'm settling in for a good read. I love to hear about people's first experience at Disney World.

My thoughts are with your DH and all our heroes in Iraq.

 

[dmthoma76]

Getting in on this thread I am taking my seven year old in September, We have to get up at 5:00am to make a 7:00am flight, I had just told him I would have him packed and in the clothes he would be wearing the night before.

 

[UtahMama]

Yeah!!!!! I finally get to read one from the beginning and not an all night marathon! I want to hear more (if you're comfortable sharing) about your son. Like how did you cope with all the excitement AND keep him on task.
Cant wait for more!


Also thank your DH for his serving our country... Our brave hero.

 

[dmthoma76]

Getting in on this thread I am taking my seven year old in September, We have to get up at 5:00am to make a 7:00am flight, I had just told him I would have him packed and in the clothes he would be wearing the night before.

Then I saw your post and you did the exact thing I was planning!


~Donna

 

[Princess89]

I am so excited for you! Your first trip to WDW, can't wait to hear more.

 

[kpk89]

I can't wait to hear about the trip. You are very prompt in writing, I must say! Props to you for that.

I wish that every serviceman (and woman) could take a trip to Disney with their family before deployment. And after, too! Tell your hubby that I think he's a hero, too.

 

[studentmom]

Can't wait to see what happens next!

 

[GISELLEROL]

HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT TIME

 

[Minniespal]

Enjoying ~ Looking forward to more.

 

[MagicMe]

Enjoying the beginning of your family trip! Can't wait for the next installment!!

BTW, a heartfelt thank you to your DH and your family for keeping the rest of us save and free!

 

[mask_w03]

Enjoying the TR and can't wait for more!!

 

[GoofyTraci]

i was just getting into your story need to hear more..

 

[Mickey & Minnie Mom]

Even through the rain, I can sense the excitement of your family to finally be in the World!

Please give your husband my family's regards, best wishes & gratitude for his service.

And many prayers to you & your son to do well while he's away.

 

[jmskinner]

Wow, can't believe how many of you are reading this, I was afraid no one would. To: Nataliz, CJNIX29,UtahMama, KPK89, and MagicMe, thank you for the support for my DH and all the troops. DMTHOMA76 - having my boy ready to go made it so easy and we didn't have to have a fight before even getting started.

I'll get back to my TR now.

Ok, we have ridden Star Tours, it has stopped raining. Everyone was tired, but I had promised my boy that we would go to a water park the first day. He loves wave pools, so Typhoon Lagoon was where he wanted to go. With his ADHD and SPD I felt we needed to stick to the schedule. So back to the hotel.

ME had delivered our luggage, yeah PONCHOS! Not that we needed them for the water park. The DH, DS7, DSD13, and I went to Typhoon Lagoon. I saw all of these people leaving and only a couple going in so I checked with the CM at the gate to be sure the park closed at 10:00 for EMH. He said it did and that something else closed in the park closed at 8:00. I was too excited to care what ride closed at 8:00, it was 7:00 and I was ready for the water park. Of course, we hit the wave pool first thing. Those 6 ft waves are crazy. I kept holding onto my boy. He was getting mad at me so I let go of him. I was so scared to let him go. He had only taken his first swimming lessons a month before. He didn't want to, but I put it to him this way, "you can take swimming lessons and not have to wear a life jacket at the water parks at Disney, or you can skip swimming lessons and wear a life jacket at the water parks in Disney". He relunctantly agreed to the lessons.

Upon his request I let him ride the waves without me holding him, I was still a foot or two away. But he was fine. We were in water up to his chin. The DH had gone to get a snack and the DSD I learned did not really know how to swim so she stayed where it was about knee deep. I felt bad leaving her in the back alone, but the boy was having so much fun and I did not want to leave him alone, even with lifeguards. Finally the DH gets in the pool and hangs out with his daughter. They keep anouncing something is closing at 8 and I keep thinking they are saying something about "pressure" so I think they are talking about the wave pool.

Then I realize, no they mean "Crush n Gusher" the water rollercoaster. Schlitterbahn has one of these, but I have never gotten to ride it. So I was going to ride one at Disney. So me and the DSD try to find it. We stop at a map, figure out which direction and just as we see a sign pointing the way we hear "The Crush n Gusher is now closed?" I felt so stupid. So we get the DH and DS and get on some slides. My DS is usually scared of the slides because they are normally high off the ground at most parks, but I pointed out these were built high but not off the ground. So he went and had a good time. Only had to wait maybe 5 minutes. There is one tube ride that bounces you and it gave me the giggles. I laughed all the way down it. The DH talked me into riding the speed slide. I had ridden one in high school that really caused great pain, I have previously posted that story on a thread related to those type of slides. So I go down the thing clinching my legs together as tight as possible. I actually enjoyed. Tried to get the DSD to go, but she was not going for it. Highly recommend the EMH evening hours for TL. We went back to the wave pool about 9 and realized the waves had been shut down so we left.

I am very proud of my boy, because he has a lot of anger and control issues, but I have never had to drag him out of a park kicking and screaming. I did calm him down a little saying we will be go to the other water park and we might come back to TL to ride that coaster.

I need food when we get back to the hotel. I am too tired to try to get dessert, but do buy the refillable mugs. The nice CM tells me I am owed dessert and drinks with my meal, but I tell I am too tired to care but thank you. The CM's always reminded us of what was owed to us with the meal plan, I thought that was great of them.

Then we sleep, it is Magic Kingdom day next.

So Sunday morning we go to Magic Kingdom. First we had to get the DMIL ticket redone because she had managed to demagnitize the thing. You will notice that we have issues with our tickets quite often on this trip. I chose this day to do MK because my DBIL wasn't arriving until Monday and figure he would get bored with the MK since he is 30 now (again, let me remind you that this was my first time). Of course, I can't figure out how to do the finger scanning thing and hold up the line. Then we do what I knew better to do because of these boards. We stand on Main Street, with a map trying to decide where to go. (I figured out where the hotel kept the maps the next to the last day of our trip.) As soon as we pulled that map out, I could see all the postings about families doing just that and how everyone felt sorry for them. We had a plan though, PIRATES! We wanted to see if it was open. This was about 9:30, so we found the ride. Some people said it was closed because there were ropes up, but we got to looking and realized it was OPEN!!! We were all so excited. We just about walked right on. The part with Davy Jones at the beginning was cool. Loved seeing Captain Jack Sparrow. Still can not make my son realize the ride came first. Because he heard us talking about how the ride had been closed to remodel it, he thought they were changing it from the first movie to the second. Still says it today.

From there we head to Haunted Mansion. Now, I hate dark spooky rides. In the rides at carnivals, I am the one looking for someone to jump out at me and I kid you not, if I see movement like someone is in there I have yelled "if you come near me I will hit you!". Sorry to say, I have actually hit a poor ride operator. So during this ride I am scared that someone will jump out at me. I am also worried about the boy because he doesn't like the dark either. So we get off of the ride. My son is funny, he will show very little emotion on a ride, like Star Tours. We couldn't tell if he liked it or not, until he gets off and then he will scream and say "Let's do it again". Well this is what he did on Haunted Mansion, so my DH took him back on it. Still no waiting. Me, the DSD, and DMIL go get a quick snack.

We went back to Pirates and rode it again. It now had about 10 minutes wait, but still not bad at all. My DH managed to drop his shades and break them (this becomes even funnier later). So, we head over to the mountains. We get FP for Splash Mountain and head to Thunder Mountain. Ride it with maybe a 5 minute wait. It is too early for the FP so we go to look for my DH new sunglasses. My DH finds some and we head back.

My DMIL does not like things with high drops so she skips Splash Mountain she didn't do the other either. So she holds our bags and finds a nice shaded spot to sit. It is still 5 minutes until our FP time, so I chance it and see if the CM will let us in. She says she is feeling nice today and lets us go. I really enjoyed this ride. Log Flumes have always been a favorite ride of mine. We get off and try to find the DMIL.

One thing I did not mention before about the DMIL is that she has a phobia about anything that flutters, such as birds and butterflies. Of course, Disney has birds everywhere. Well, while she is sitting down this family (obviously from another country because they did not understand us Americans and our need for space, so they were basically sitting on top of her) comes up next to her. To help entertain their kids, she offers some chips to feed the ducks. This other bird, the big white ones, comes right up next to the DMIL. So we have family found her, she is literally scared stiff. (My DMIL sons once threw bread on her to watch Seagulls attack her and she wrapped herself under a vans axle. I kid you not.) So we rescue her. Head back to Pirates only to see there is now a line and it looks like a stroller graveyard out front. I had heard about these. It was amazing. So went on the Swiss Family Treehouse, which I drop and broke one of the misting fans ! So my poor DH misses the whole thing because he is busy trying to put the fan back together and not looking at the tree house. I tried to explain that he could put the fan together anytime.

From there we rode the Jungle Cruise. We had a lot of fun on this one and my boy got to drive the boat at the end. We did have a little laugh at the CM operating the boat. You could tell she had memorized the script and said it without any real emotion. She was still very nice and did a good job.

We had ADR's for the Crystal Palace, the only character meal I scheduled. Chose Winnie the Pooh because I am sad to say that is all my DS is familiar with and since the DBIL wasn't there yet. We had time for one more ride so off to the Enchanted Tiki Room. I thought this was very cute.

Got to the Crystal Palace and had about a 30 minute wait. Couldn't really remember what our reservation time was, so it might not have been that long. Tigger was going through as we were waiting and I knew my son would want to see him. We get our table and can't figure out who will stay at the table while everyone else gets their food. Finally we get it all straight. The kiddo gets to meet Piglet, he wasn't too excited. Poor Piglet. I wanted to meet Eeyore, but he didn't make it past us. When we were finished eating and had signed the check we told the waiter we would really like to see Tigger. They were getting ready for the parade. He told us to wait in the middle and Tigger would stop to see us after his break and on his way back to where he had stopped. So we are patiently waiting and watch Tigger do the parade, go downstairs, and walk right past us. So we keep waiting, the waiter notices us, and chases Tiggers helper down to remind him. So finally we get Tigger. That is the one and only picture I have with DH, DS, and me for the whole trip. (If anyone can please tell how to post pictures I will give it a try. If it helps, I use the Kodak easyshare program.)

My schedule for the trip each day was to head to the hotel for a rest after eating, so that is what we do. Except my son wanted to walk through the Castle. My DH thought you couldn't do it because of the stage they had set up. Well, it was raining at this point, so everyone else headed for the bus stop and my and my DS went to the castle. We walked through (silly DH) and went in the store. We then headed for the bus stop. The rest of the family is already gone so me and DS have to wait for about 30 minutes for another bus. He was starting to drive me nuts. There are things I will let him do that are fine with me, but I know others might have issue with so when he starts doing these things, I start getting frustrated and fussing at him. We finally make it back to the hotel.

After taking a nap, we head to Epcot. Stupid me got my days mixed up. I realized it was EMH at AK, not Epcot, as the bus is pulling into Epcot. So I am starting to feel like I am going to ruin everyone's trip, but they decide to do Illimuniations, so that is what we do. Head straight back to the World Showcase. My DMIL sees a Margarita stand and wants one. Well, if she is going to have one, I have to have.

The guys in front of us ordered for one of their friends the "Fiesta" one. If anyone has ever seen this, it is four layers, each layer a different color. So the guy that gets it say, "I didn't order a Napoleon?" I thought that was funny. So I decide to try it. I never try anything new. Most of the waiters at my favorite restaurants know what I am ordering when I get there. I loved this drink. The DH, DS, and DSD had walked on to find a spot. They found a great one there in Italy right after the bridges. So we are standing around with some popcorn and our Margarita's. Now, my DH is not drinking but he is talking using his hands and manages to knock his cap (the Air Force one he specifically bought for this trip) off his head into the water. Everyone around was laughing. We realized the next day that his new sunglasses were also on that hat, so that went bye bye also.

We we sit back and watch the show. It was great. The best part was right in the middle of it, my son yells "I see Daddy's hat in the water!" We all just busted out laughing.

After the show we headed out to the bus stop. POR had the longest line. It went through the bars and down past another resort stop when we got there. So we waited and waited in line. I guess I didn't feel like spreading Pixie Dust because there was a couple with a baby that were trying to cut in the line, I just turned my back to them and placed myself where they would not get between us. Maybe if the baby was crying or something I might have. I hate line cutters. Finally after about 30 minutes, one of the higher up CM's starts stopping busses and tells two to stop for us so we get on. We loved that CM.

When we get back, I have to have food, so off to the restaurant I go for my counter service meal. These 11:00pm meals are going to kill me. Then we sleep.

I hope everyone is enjoying this, I sure am enjoying getting to talk about our wonderful first trip to Disney. For our third day it is off to MGM, arrival of the DBIL and I manage to lose my DMIL ticket with the charging privilege.

 

[SparklePower]

Enjoying your TR through the eyes of a fellow first timer! Patiently awaiting your next segment...
Please accept my deepest gratitude for your husbands service and your families sacrafice. It is greatly appreciated!

 

[pjstevens]

Great report so far. Enjoying your family. Wishing you all well as your dh goes off to serve our great country. God Bless.

 

[lonegirl]

Good trip report!
My family thanks you and yours for your sacrifices.
God Bless your husband.

 

[nataliz]

The guys in front of us ordered for one of their friends the "Fiesta" one. If anyone has ever seen this, it is four layers, each layer a different color. So the guy that gets it say, "I didn't order a Napoleon?"

Still loving your trip report.