Forget the Land kids, we’re going to the World.

[Familycircus]

I have lurked here now for a couple of months gathering a wealth of information and enjoying some very entertaining trip reports. Now that I’ve gotten a little braver and came out of lurkdom, our trip seems to be coming fast and I should have a pre trip report before the trip, so I thought I better get started.

Please feel free to comment along the way. I will try to reply, but I am still learning how this board works and I’m not very good at it. I do admire the friendly, supportive, and helpful nature of so many on here. A rather nice community has formed here. It seems that some have become friends and meeting each other face to face, some amusing banter back and forth, jokes, support, and kindness. There is the one common denominator of the love of Disney. I hope on my trip I can experience a portion of the Magic you all seem to find when you visit. Reading some trip reports, sometimes you experience more Magic and sometimes less. Sometimes you experience different Magic that you were not aware existed. There still seems to be something that continually draws you back.

I may not be a hard core Disney fanatic yet, travel fanatic, yes, Disney maybe not so much. I have enjoyed my magical Disney trips ( notice lower case on magical ), all your stories, and my children’s faces on our previous Disney trip, although this may change when we’re done with the World.

This spring I began thinking, now, let me just preface this, when I start thinking about something I become completely and totally obsessed for about 5-7 days. Usually about day 6, I spring it on my wife. If I get a “yeah sure” then I have about 1 day to convince her. This especially happens with travel and I was thinking of a Disney trip too boot.

Now what I was thinking was a trip to Disneyland. We were there Feb ’03 when our older son was 4 and our daughter was 2. My wife was just pregnant with younger son, but she still rode the Matterhorn. Well, I was thinking this trip would happen in 2010 and with the cost of airfare, we would drive. Now how I sold this to the Mrs. was that we could hit other sites all the way there and back, including a few days in San Francisco (our favorite city). Do you see where this is going? That’s right folks a true Griswold Vacation. Now last time we purposely chose Disneyland, when the mice were small, because it is much easier to manage. In researching price$$$, I thought, sometimes Florida is cheaper than California, but I had still intended to point the Family Truckster west. Then in July, friends of ours started talking about going to Disney World in Nov. Now, I began to get a little jealous that they would be going to the World and we would only be going to the Land, and our trip would be two years out. I had no desire to travel with them, and there was no way we could take our trip before or shortly after theirs because of money and I needed to build up more vacation time at work. Remember that thought I had about Florida over California, well it surfaced again and after rationalizing some of my hang-ups (youngest would be five and he doesn’t have to go back for a nap, more parks, rides, etc to interest older son), I started the obsession of researching the World.

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[Genna]

I am trying to compose my first pre trip report too, I have found out loads of great tips on these boards like yourself happy planning!

 

[bellasmommy0]

I am signing on and ready to hear more!

 

[Familycircus]

I am signing on and ready to hear more!

Thanks. Oh there is plenty more. Stay tuned.


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[Familycircus]

I last left you as I started researching the World.

Well the World has grown and changed since I last set foot there. The first time I was there was Easter 1977.

Now the second time (sorry no pictures) was either fall ’86 or beginning ’87. I went to both Disneyland and Disney World. Since the trips were so close together, I don’t remember which was which date. I do remember the Grand Floridian was still being constructed. We stayed at the Buena Vista Palace. That cluster of hotels was called The Village at the time. Sort of on the property off the property. My wife spent one day at MK on a band trip when she was a senior in high school. So for us, most everything is relatively new.

After some researching, yes we could go to the World cheaper (or will we). So now its what I call “day 6”, that means let’s pitch it to the Mrs.. I wind up and it’s a fast ball. Instead of a “yeah sure”, I get a “When?”. Now you have to understand, in our twelve years of marriage, I cannot tell you when I have gotten anything but a “yeah sure”. She steps into it and crack, I’m on the pitching mound . Well, that’s a good question. We would need to spend more time at the World than we would need at the Land. Not going to make the older two miss too much school (education is very important, but it sure gets in the way of all my plans). I’m not going to Florida in the summer. How about the winter? I sure wouldn’t drive over the mountains to California in the winter, but going south to Florida, the weather would get better as we get closer. My position at work doesn’t allow me to take vacation between Thanksgiving and the first of the year, so during the kids’ Christmas vacation is not an option.

Then its “lets see when the kids’ Spring Break is”. Personally I don’t want to go during everyone’s Spring Break. School calendar comes out and WOO HOO, its nowhere near Easter, or normal spring break time, but still peak season. Good enough for me , we’ll take it. Looks like we’re turning the Family Truckster and pointing it southeast.


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[Familycircus]

When I was looking at Disneyland for 2010, I told the wife and kids that the only way we could afford it was to stay offsite. They didn’t care. Really only my wife and I would know the difference. Now when we look to make the Florida trip cheaper, once again we would need to be offsite. Everyone still fine with that? because we’re going to the World. So we have, distance closer = less gas, Florida offsite hotel actually cost less than California offsite hotel. It would be cheaper to go to the World, or will it.

I’m not sure who mentioned this trip to my mother. It may have even been me. Anyway, she declares she is coming with us. We spend a lot of time with my side of the family mostly due to proximity and have done some traveling together. She loves her grandkids and wants to be around them all the time. My boys remind her of my brother and I when we were kids and my daughter is extra special because we don’t have girls in the family. I’m telling you this is going to be a true Griswold Vacation. The kids have even asked to bring the dog. I flat out said no. Something would happen and this is already too much like the movie.

Back to mom, she was along for our ’03 Disneyland trip. While my wife, I, and the then two kids stayed onsite at the Paradise Pier, she and my stepdad stayed on the other side of the park entrances, offsite. She enjoyed our hotel and the “perks” you get by being onsite. I inform her that for this Florida trip we would need to stay offsite, as we could stay five nights for the price of two nights at a Value, and I could even earn reward points.

Mom says “I’ll pick up some books on Disney”, now when she says that, look out Barnes & Noble she is about to clear your travel shelves. She has also found a new friend, the internet, to help her research. In her defense, she was a travel agent for about 10 years and even owned her own agency for a few years when it was in vogue. You know what’s funny, that was about the same time Madonna had us all “striking a pose” on the dance floor. I guess some of the planning and research stuff rubbed off on me. Anyway, so mom starts loading up carts at bookstores and she reads a few websites. I, on the other hand do all my research online. She starts dropping off books for me to read. Let it be known, there is only one place I would do any book reading and when I remodel our house or build another, that place will have a swing out tray for my laptop.


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[Familycircus]

Now its mom’s turn to pitch to me. “I really think we should reconsider staying onsite”, but mom. “We have more transportation options”, but mom. “We’ll be closer”, but mom. “The resorts look cuter”, but mom. “They send purchases back to your hotel”, AH HA ! That’s what she wants. I remember this from the ’03 trip. She would buy stuff at the parks and have it sent back to my onsite room. But mom, we’d have to get two Value rooms. Then comes the “What if we…”. “What if we do a split stay and I pay for the second room and make up some of the difference?” Hmmmm. Three nights offsite and two nights onsite. I didn’t get a hit, I didn’t strike out, I got a walk. I gave mom two offsite hotel options where the rooms were comparable and I could still earn reward points. She picked the more expensive one . We decided POP would be our onsite hotel. It doesn’t share buses and the themes look fun.

Our dates are chosen, kids will miss two days of school, but its not end of quarter. Florida hotels selected, but not yet booked, others along trip not selected.

So this is our thinking, 2 nights driving down, 3 nights offsite, 2 nights onsite, 4day parkhoppers, 3 nights driving back. Up goes the posterboard and we ( I ), start plotting out this mess with Post-its. My wife doesn’t get into any travel planning. I usually ask at a point if there is anything in particular she wants to see or do, but I usually have everything included. The only thing I’ve ever missed including was a museum in Santa Fe, we did see it though. So to be inclusive, I ask. “Sweetheart, is there anything you want to do for sure?” Her reply, “Epcot”. I think we can work that in. OK we’re good.

 

[bellasmommy0]

Sounds like good plans so far...but I think like your mom, I want to be onsite! What is money for if not to spend..

 

[Familycircus]

Sounds like good plans so far...but I think like your mom, I want to be onsite! What is money for if not to spend..

My preferrance is to be onsite and so far it looks like we'll be doing that for at least part of our stay. I also imagine we will have plenty of opportunity to spend, spend, spend.

Disney certainly won't let us leave with money leftover.

 

[bellasmommy0]

My preferrance is to be onsite and so far it looks like we'll be doing that for at least part of our stay. I also imagine we will have plenty of opportunity to spend, spend, spend.

Disney certainly won't let us leave with money leftover.

tell me about it, I always come home BROKE!!

 

[Familycircus]

So I pose the question. “I wonder if grandma would like to go?” That’s right, my grandma, mom’s mom. Gas and hotel wise it wouldn’t cost anymore.

I think she regrets not going with us to Myrtle Beach last year. You guessed it, mom went with on that trip too. Mom says “Where is she going to ride?” “On top, like in that movie?” Yes we did laugh, but I can’t imagine how this whole trip is going to turn out.

“So grandma, do you want to go to Disney World with us?” Her response, “Where would I sit, on top of the car?”

Grandma is 84 and still really active. She will still put on her ice skates, two years ago went sledding with the kids, but walking all day in those parks would be hard for her. I told her that we would get a scooter. Instead she uses money as an excuse. I said just your ticket and food. “But the food is so expensive.” Grandma, you’re not eating 3 meals a day every day at CRT.

She also could be having flashbacks of being lost in the mass exodus of Epcot.
Not only was my mom with me last time I was in the World, grandma came along too. We spent the day in Epcot and there was one last thing I wanted to see before we left. Even though it’s no longer there, I can’t imagine wanting to see it now if it were.

It was the '80s, I was in high school.

What do you think it was?

Come on, guess.

 

[bellasmommy0]

So I pose the question. “I wonder if grandma would like to go?” That’s right, my grandma, mom’s mom. Gas and hotel wise it wouldn’t cost anymore.

I think she regrets not going with us to Myrtle Beach last year. You guessed it, mom went with on that trip too. Mom says “Where is she going to ride?” “On top, like in that movie?” Yes we did laugh, but I can’t imagine how this whole trip is going to turn out.

“So grandma, do you want to go to Disney World with us?” Her response, “Where would I sit, on top of the car?”

Grandma is 84 and still really active. She will still put on her ice skates, two years ago went sledding with the kids, but walking all day in those parks would be hard for her. I told her that we would get a scooter. Instead she uses money as an excuse. I said just your ticket and food. “But the food is so expensive.” Grandma, you’re not eating 3 meals a day every day at CRT.

She also could be having flashbacks of being lost in the mass exodus of Epcot. Not only was my mom with me last time I was in the World, grandma came along too. We spent the day in Epcot and there was one last thing I wanted to see before we left. Even though it’s no longer there, I can’t imagine wanting to see it now if it were.

It was the eighties, I was in high school.

What do you think it was?

Come on, guess.

Come on and come back and tell me....I dont know!!! Is Grandma going???

 

[Familycircus]

Come on and come back and tell me....I dont know!!!

Come on, give a guess.

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[Familycircus]

Come on. Does anyone have a guess about what I had to see?

Epcot mid/late '80's.


.

 

[Familycircus]

All right, since no one wants to guess and we have to keep this going.



The answer: Michael Jackson in Captain EO.


I know, I know. Like I said, it was the 80’s and I was in high school.

I had spent the day walking around WS with my mom and grandma. I wanted to do something for me. Well grandma would have nothing to do with that show. We left her sitting in, I believe, the eating area of Land (I’m not sure if it was called anything then), and mom and I ran off to the last showing. The show ended at the same time the park was closing. We went to get grandma and there was no grandma. She was gone.

Why is it that when you tell someone, stay here, wait for me, don’t move, or I’ll be right back, that somehow means to them, go get lost.

OMG ! Grandma’s lost in this crowd of billions leaving Epcot.

 

[Familycircus]

Mom stays in the park and looks for her, while I check the bus stops. I meet mom back at the entrance, still no grandma.
After almost an hour, there were hardly any people left. We got on one of the last buses and hoped grandma had the sense to go back to the hotel.

We got back to the hotel and no grandma. We waited and waited. She comes through the door about a half hour later, and steaming mad at us.
After a short bit of yelling at us, she did not speak to us the next morning and during the flights home.

She still gets a little steamed, but we don’t bring it up.
Answer still “No”. OK then.

 

[bellasmommy0]

That is crazy!! But it is so easy to loose people in the crowds. Last year when we went to MNSSHP it was pouring rain. We were all on Buzz Lightyear...meaning, me,DH,DD, DSIL,DBIL,DNephew,DMIL,DFIL. When we came out it was POURING rain!! Well we all got under cover and stayed or so we thougt...DSIL&DBIL had taken off with nephew somewhere else..well MIL is a worry wart. We cant get ahold of them! Well turned out they tried to run somewhere else and got seperated. So SIL ended up back at hotel, BIL and nephew were sitting somewhere outside the park waitiing for her to come out, and he had all the keys!! It was complete drama!! I tell my DH this is why you always have to have your keys and your cell phone with you

 

[Familycircus]

Isn't drama fun.
We will difinitely have our cell phones this coming trip.
When we lost grandma that was before the days of cell phones.

 

[bellasmommy0]

Isn't drama fun.
We will difinitely have our cell phones this coming trip.
When we lost grandma that was before the days of cell phones.

Nah I am sure they had them, they were just HUGE suitcase looking things!!

 

[Familycircus]

Sorry I haven't finished this PTR. Its kind of a mood point since I'm starting my Trip Report, but I will finish it anyway.
It will provide more insight into us and and this adventure.