Frozen Fun at the Beach Club!Our First Disney Trip Dec. 3- 11*Update 5/1*

counselormom

Mouseketeer
Joined
Jun 25, 2010
When I first started planning our Disney Trip over a year ago I had no idea the planning that would go into it. I've enjoyed every (well almost) minute of it and nothing was more valuable in planning than the disboards. I can't say my trip is complete, though, until I post my trip report. Since this was our first trip, this obviously is my first trip report so I'll be figuring things out as I go along. I hope you enjoy it and I would love to have suggestions from all you Disney veterans out there on what we could have done better. I will be posting lots of pictures, dining reports and lessons I learned along the way So here it goes.

First an introduction:
There is Me (Traci), my husband Robert, Daughters Ashton (11), Avery (6)

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We live in Oklahoma City and I turned 40 this year (still getting used to the idea!). I'm an elementary school counselor and before that I taught 3rd grade for seven years. I love being a counselor, although at times it breaks my heart listening to what the kids have to deal with in their lives. I have been married to that guy in the above picture for 20 years. We met in junior high and it has been a fairytale romance ever since( okay all you married people out there can stop rolling your eyes now) or how about the truth: most days are ordinary, some days we drive each other crazy and every so often we get one of those fairytale romance days.

Robert is an administrator in the same district where I am a counselor. He was an elementary principal before that and also taught 5th grade. He is really funny, a great Dad, and although he works very long hours at a stressful job he still makes time for us. He is also very careful with money (okay, tight), and gets kinda cranky when things cost lots of money (can you see where a 9 day trip to Disney might be a problem?)

Ashton is our 11 yr. old daughter. She is on the road to becoming a teen and I wanted to get her to Disney before the transformation happened!

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Avery is our 6 yr. old daughter. She still loves princesses but I knew my time
was running out so I needed to get her to Disney too!
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In December of 2009 I decided we needed to take a Disney trip, the kids were getting older and we had never taken a trip with just the four of us.
As soon as the thought hit my brain I knew the first thing I would have to do is convince Robert. Like I said he is very careful with money and Disney isn't exactly an inexpensive vacation. Also, he is not much of a traveler. He likes to go for a few days here and there but is always ready to get home. The last few years however I have been working on reforming him. I want to travel and I really would like for him to enjoy it too. Luckily, my Grandmother unknowingly helped me out in this mission of mine and paid for my whole extended family to go on a cruise on the Celebrity Solstice last January. He had a great time and even relaxed a little. Of course it helped it was paid for!!

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I brought the subject up that evening and he agreed it sounded like a good idea but we should be careful not to go overboard and spend a small fortune. I was just so glad that he went for it and before he changed his mind I started showing him pictures of the value resorts and said we could even drive to save money! Remember, we have been married for 20 years and I knew that he hates to drive and wouldn't be too thrilled about the value rooms for nine days. Nope, he said, He would really rather fly and could we stay someplace a "little" bigger?? "You betcha, we can! I'll work on that honey!" So to sum up the pre-planning I came up with the dates of Dec. 3-11 (not busy and average temps. of 75 degrees, ha, ha!), stalked the boards to watch for discounts, decided that we must do the dining plan or he would flip if he saw the bill at the end of the meals (good grief! $200 to eat at the Castle!) started selling Uppercase Living to make some extra spending money and came up with what I hoped was a vacation that would be fun, relaxing, and would make him love traveling!!
After much research and after getting a discount, I finally decided that the Beach Club resort would be a good fit for our family. This turned out to be the
very best decision of the whole trip.

Up Next: Day 1 Checking in at the Beach Club and an Illuminations Dinner at La Hacienda
 
Chapter Links for Frozen Fun at the Beach Club! Our First Disney Trip-December 3-11

Day 1
Pre-trip Prep and Airport Arrival http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=39569801&postcount=22
Checking in at the Beach Club and an Illuminations Dinner at La Hacienda http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=39575201&postcount=27

Day 2
Exploring the Beach Club http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=39648036&postcount=35
Dinner with Some Really Mean Sisters http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=39741699&postcount=60

Answer to the Contest (no cheating!) http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=39740446&postcount=58

Day 3
Our Day at EPCOT http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=39813334&postcount=77
Dinner at Le Cellier and Kim Possible http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=39926532&postcount=99
Recipe for Le Cellier Cheddar Cheese Soup http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=39982534&postcount=109

Day 4
Magic Kingdom and Pirates League http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=40011397&postcount=112
Pirates Wishes Cruise and 'Ohana http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=40098825&postcount=130

Day 5
Animal Kingdom, Part 1 http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=40383830&postcount=153
Animal Kingdom, Part 2 http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=40475167&postcount=171

Day 6
MK Princess Day http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=39233880&postcount=370
Pack of Pretty Princesses and Wishes http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=40952657&postcount=201



Coming over from the Y&BC thread. I'm in! And first, I think!

You may want to save a post for links to chapters of your report. I didn't know to do that when I wrote my first trip report, but now I wish I had!

I can already tell I'm going to enjoy your family dynamics. I think our last Disney trip was our last Disney trip before we are accompanied by a teen-monster. We are starting to see more and more every day! :scared1:

We LOVE the Beach Club, so I can't wait to read your impressions.
 
I'm another YC/BC person who wants to read all about your trip! Your daughters are beautiful!!!

Amanda
 


Hello! :goodvibes I feel like I can relate so much to you, I too, am married to my Prince Charming for 20 years this March! I just turned 40 last Jan, and am about to turn 41 in mmmmmmmm, about 2 weeks! :goodvibes

I am very much looking forward to your trip report and your impressions of BC as well as your impressions of your first trip to WDW! Did you "catch the Disney bug?".....I sure did after my families first trip in January 2008.....
Our second trip was in Sept 2009 for 12 magical days.

Planning this upcoming trip (depart in 3 weeks! :cool1:) my DH and my oldest son (18) both said they didn't want to go back again so soon. Sooooo, Disney lovers that my 14 yo son and I are, I planned a "Mom and Son" trip back to our favourite place! According to my DH, this trip is supposed to "get it out of my system for awhile"......:confused3 Sorry, but when you love something so much, it's hard to "get it out of your system!"

With all that said, this trip WILL most likely be the last for about 5 more years until my 25th wedding anniversary (where I can drag my sweetheart back and we can share a couple's only trip).....I am already feeling a little sad that the trip is almost here, and a little lost that I will have nothing to look forward to when I return....Your trip report will be just the thing I need to bring Disney back to life in my mind when I am feeling a little sad/ or missing my happy place! :lovestruc

I look forward to reading,

Marie :cloud9:
 
Coming over from the Y&BC thread. I'm in! And first, I think!

You may want to save a post for links to chapters of your report. I didn't know to do that when I wrote my first trip report, but now I wish I had!

I can already tell I'm going to enjoy your family dynamics. I think our last Disney trip was our last Disney trip before we are accompanied by a teen-monster. We are starting to see more and more every day! :scared1:

We LOVE the Beach Club, so I can't wait to read your impressions.


All of your info. on the YC/BC thread was so helpful. Good tip on saving a post for links but I'm not sure how to do that, help???

I am going to have to read your trip report. Isn't it funny how they can be little kids one minute and teen-monsters the next?!

I'll be posting Day 1 tommorow.
 


I am in too! We just booked BC for DD's 4th birthday trip! I also am excited to hear about the illuminations dinner... :goodvibes
 
Excited to hear about your trip report!! You have really nice pictures!! Can't wait to see the rest! Love the shirts BTW!! Were those customized? Never seen them before.:thumbsup2
 
Looking forward to reading more :goodvibes I've just booked a split resort stay incorporating the BC for my November trip, it's somewhere I've loved the look of but never quite made it, I'm determined to make it this time!
 
All of your info. on the YC/BC thread was so helpful. Good tip on saving a post for links but I'm not sure how to do that, help???

I am going to have to read your trip report. Isn't it funny how they can be little kids one minute and teen-monsters the next?!

I'll be posting Day 1 tommorow.

Really excited to read your Day 1 post!!!

Thanks for the kind words about the info on the YC/BC thread. Some of us refer to it as the "friendliest thread on the DIS boards" It is a great distraction to real life!

OK, wow, you are already on page 2 with readers!!! Probably too late to save a post for links- but here is the info because I wish I had it:

In the next post after your intro, immediately make another post that says:
Saved for Chapter Links
Then you can go into that link and edit with links directly to your chapters.

Go to the post number of your chapter- say your "Checkin at the Beach Club" is post #20. Right mouse click on the post number to copy the shortcut link, then edit your second "saved" post:
Type "Checkin at the Beach Club" then PASTE the shortcut you have saved.

Of course I haven't done this on my report. :rolleyes1 I keep trying to decide if I am going to edit my first post and add chapter links there, but I'm almost finished with my report!

Edit: DOH!!! I just occured to me that I am your second post!!! I could add your chapter links if you want me to...
When you get your post up, I will do a sample and you can let me know if you like it.


And finally, to edit the main title of your report, Next to the title "Frozen Fun at the Beach Club" if you want to say "Updated 1/16, Check in at the Beach Club", so it appears that way in the thread listing on the TR forums, you would edit your first post, click on "Go Advanced" and go to the very top to access the title of the report. Took me awhile to learn how to do that.
 
OK....the frozen part has me hooked. We are headed to the BC for the first time a week from Thursday and I'm so excited but at the same time worried it's going to be FREEZING. (we're coming from chilly VA, but I'm a Florida girl by birth and I was hoping for a break from this cold!)

And our couples' dynamic is the opposite of yours....I'm the thrifty one, and my husband is the one who says "sure, club level, awesome! Let's do it!" Secretly I'm afraid our stay is going to ruin me for all future trips. We usually stay at POP, but have also stayed at moderates and AKL and WL. But I have wanted to stay at BC/YC forever because of the location.
 
I am here, just recently switched from CR to Beach Club. It will be our first stay at BC and very excited, can not wait to read more of your TR
 
I look forward to reading,

Marie :cloud9:[/QUOTE]


Marie,
Don't you sometimes think 40? How did that happen? I did catch the "Disney
Bug" but I think I love the planning almost as much as the actual trip. I would
love to be able to go back this year. A twelve day trip and a Mom and Son trip, lucky you! I'll bet it doesn't get it out of your system though!
 

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