Grand Villa at Old Key West in March...and lots of plans to be made.

[FreezinRafiki]

I just though of something. Triangle crayons. Rather than the normal round ones, they make some in the triangle shape. If DD is coloring on the plane and she sets one down on the tray - it doesn't roll away!
Because I know how we love to bend around a squirm on those ever-so-spacious airline seats to find a crayon that fell to the floor.

 

[brewcrew80]

I just though of something. Triangle crayons. Rather than the normal round ones, they make some in the triangle shape. If DD is coloring on the plane and she sets one down on the tray - it doesn't roll away!
Because I know how we love to bend around a squirm on those ever-so-spacious airline seats to find a crayon that fell to the floor.

Brilliant. I'll have to look into that.

Maybe I'm setting myself up for a rude awakening, but I'm not THAT nervous for the flight with her. She travels really well. We drove to South Carolina last year and she was very happy watching the portable DVD player.

The landing pains might be tough, but she's a tough girl.

 

[brewcrew80]

Hellllllllllllooooooooo!

It's been a while. Planning downtime. Just counting down the days. Not many updates.

I am the pround owner of a new furnace.

Everybody in my family has either done, or signed up for the Give a Day, Get a Day. free tickets for all!

I haven't seen any of my siblings since Christmas...and that will likely continue until the trip. My sister is working every day...including weekends from about a week ago until the trip.

so, here's some random thoughts...

It'll probably be a bit of a down time for actual planning, so I thought it'd be fun to post the things I'm excited for and just general thoughts on plans and hopes for the trip.

I think I'm equal parts excited for just being on a vacation with my family, being in Disney for myself and taking my daughter to Disney.

-So, I'm most excited for just being there and being at a great resort with great people. Whether we're hanging out at the pool or at a park, I'm sure the real fun will be at random moments.

But, in the interest of this post, the specific things I'm looking forward to....

-Epcot in general-This may seem way too broad, but, ever since I was 5 or 6, I've had a special love for Epcot. I have always felt more "at home" there than at MK. I resent change more at Epcot than any other park. For my money, I wish Horizons and World of Motion were still there instead of Test Track and Mission: Space. I think Epcot was at it's best when it was the land of the E-ticket dark ride. I think Lydia will enjoy it too. Even if the concept of the attractions are beyond her grasp, being on a ride with bright colors and blinking lights will be great for her and me. I think our day at Epcot will be nice and relaxing. I know people will want to convince me otherwise, but I really don't have much interest in Test Track or Mission:Space. I've never been on either, but I know what they're about, and they just don't seem worth the wait or Fastpass. So, It'll be a fun day at a park, with minimal lines. Plus, nobody in my family( self included) has ever been there for Flower and Garden Fest, and I know this will add to the experience.

-The 3D shows. Every park has one. I've seen 3 of 'em, and I am very curious what Lydia thinks of them. I could see her being absolutely amazed...or just wanting to play with the glasses and not understand that they're needed for the show. But, I think any of the shows have potential to be Lydia's favorite attraction in the World.

-PotC-This is a big one. I know already that Lydia is a little thrill seeker. And this is the one ride with some form of mild thrill that she'll be able to go on. PLUS, I've never been on the new version.

-Expedition Everest-Yeah, I haven't been on it. Looks amazing. So, this will be one instance where I'll have no problem handing the child off to Grandma and Grandpa and having some fun for myself.

-Getting OKW. I know how amazing it is. My family knows. But, Kelly is mostly clueless as to how awesome Disney Resorts are. I've intentionally NOT gone out of my way to show her pictures. But, I know when she sees the place, the pool, our Grand Villa, the grounds in general, her jaw is gonna drop. It's gonna be fun. Same with Pat's wife.

-Fantasyland-This is almost too obvious to mention, but I fully expect the collection of attractions in Fantasyland to provide some very memorable Lydia moments.

 

[DisneyDaddy-O]

Your trip is coming up quickly, you and Lydia are going to have a blast. I totally agree to take it slow and enjoy all the other stuff Epcot has to offer other than "thrill rides". Both rides in the Mexico and Norway pavilions are great fun and the lines are not going to be bad at all. This will also give you the opportunity to really get deep into all the countries and see the entire area. You can also stop and watch the shows within each country, the British Invasion in the UK pavilion and Off Kilter in the Canadian pavilion are both really good.

Have a great trip.

 

[FreezinRafiki]

My kids loved the 3d shows. It's fun to watch them try to grab the jewels that come floating out of Mickey's Philharmagic. Evan had just turned 3, and he watched the movies pretty intently.

I'm excited for Flower and Garden too. It usually starts around April, but they're opening early this year - the first weekend in March. Which just happens to be the first weekend we're there!


And I'm feeling you on the furnace issue. A week before we left in October, our water heater corroded through and started leaking. It's not furnace money, but it was still several hundred dollars I didn't want to spend right before vacation. Was yours on its last leg, or did it quit all together?

 

[brewcrew80]

And I'm feeling you on the furnace issue. A week before we left in October, our water heater corroded through and started leaking. It's not furnace money, but it was still several hundred dollars I didn't want to spend right before vacation. Was yours on its last leg, or did it quit all together?

Well...when we bought our house in 2005, we knew the furnace wouldn't last forever....so, it wasn't a shock. But, it was one of those things we tried not to think about...even in the last month when it sounded like an airplane was taking off in our basement. meh. ah well. it was bound to happen....and, if I would've consulted Murphy's Law, I would've known to expect it right before a vacation.

 

[brewcrew80]

33 DAYS!!!!


More random notes.

-Lydia's favorite TV shows are currently Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Handy Manny. Excellent. Glad she joined Team Disney like her Dad and not Team Nick/Barney like her Mom. Anyway. We've been telling her that we're going to Mickey Mouse's house. She's excited for this...and, of course, she has now transformed this into "We're going to Mickey Mouse's Clubhouse." oops.

-Apparently, Cirque de Whatever isn't playing while we're there..except for the Thursday night. I'm cool with this. My family seemed more than a little interested in going. I was.....on the fence. not much for Lydia and $$$$$$$. It is now a non issue. Next trip.

-Currently debating cutting it down to 2 park days. Everyone else in my family seems to have 2 days at the parks in mind. My ideal would be 3. But, my current plan is to skip Hollywood Studios all together. I'd like to try Toy Story Mania. And, I had high hopes for the Muppet 3D movie with Lydia...and I'm ok with the Great Movie Ride....but, overall, just hard to justify the difficulty and price 4 parks would bring just for a couple attractions. So, it would be 1 day at MK, which would be free thanks to Give a Day, Get a Day. And, 1 day split between AK and Epcot. Plus, who knows...maybe we'll run out of stuff to do at Epcot and can duck over to HS to check out Toy Story. This would be a tough call. But, it would result in another full day with the family..and it would obviously save money....which could be used elsewhere..maybe a nice meal or 2. Plus...it would add excitement to our next Disney trip since Lydia will have a whole new park to explore.
-I do REALLY like Tower of Terror...And probably would enjoy RnR. But, thrill rides aren't the priority of this trip. Again, Next trip.

-Things to look forward to between now and the trip.
*going to the Dells next weekend and staying at an indoor waterpark hotel. a b-day present for Lydia from my parents.
*annual ski trip with friends the following weekend.
*after that, it's 3 weeks of not much.

 

[FreezinRafiki]

-Lydia's favorite TV shows are currently Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Handy Manny.

-Currently debating cutting it down to 2 park days. Everyone else in my family seems to have 2 days at the parks in mind. My ideal would be 3. But, my current plan is to skip Hollywood Studios all together.

Here's where I'm going to have to play devil's advocate. Lydia would love Playhouse Disney Live On Stage. The characters show up as puppets (including Handy Manny and his tools) and the preschool crowd goes wild. Also, right outside of that stage is where you can meet Handy Manny himself. Not sure how much character meet & greets you plan on, but that is the only place that Manny hangs out.

Obviously, the budget will have to decide if you can do it or not, but DHS is on my family's "not to be missed" list.

 

[brewcrew80]

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Here's where I'm going to have to play devil's advocate. Lydia would love Playhouse Disney Live On Stage. The characters show up as puppets (including Handy Manny and his tools) and the preschool crowd goes wild. Also, right outside of that stage is where you can meet Handy Manny himself. Not sure how much character meet & greets you plan on, but that is the only place that Manny hangs out.

Obviously, the budget will have to decide if you can do it or not, but DHS is on my family's "not to be missed" list.

I've thought about that. If we went to DHS, that'd be a must see. I dunno. Maybe I'll have to look at youtube videos...But, a puppet show.....just seems tough to justify for a full extra park ticket/day. Also, we've taken her to Elmo Live, and she enjoyed it, but not at the level we thought she would. This just seems kinda similar to that.

Anyway, I was too into planning, so I called Kelly, and it looks like tonight will be a round of intensive planning. If this happens, I will post updates tomorrow.

 

[FreezinRafiki]

I've thought about that. If we went to DHS, that'd be a must see. I dunno. Maybe I'll have to look at youtube videos...But, a puppet show.....just seems tough to justify for a full extra park ticket/day. Also, we've taken her to Elmo Live, and she enjoyed it, but not at the level we thought she would. This just seems kinda similar to that.

True. If it helps - here is a list of the things my kids (5 and 3) like at DHS:
-Characters: Sorcerer Mickey, the Incredibles, and the UP characters in the Animation building. Minnie, Daisy, Stitch, Chip & Dale, etc out by the hat. Mike & Sully from Monsters, Inc. Lightning McQueen & Mater.
-Honey I shrunk the kids playground
-Streetmosphere performers
-Beauty & The Beast stage show
-Block Party Bash parade
-MuppetVison 3D
-High School Musical performances in front of the hat
-Toy Story Midway Mania
-Fantasmic

Of course, just because my kids like it, doesn't mean yours will. Good luck discussing!

 

[brewcrew80]

Well, it was just a brief planning session last night, but, somewhat surprisingly, Kelly wasn't all for the idea of just spending 2 days at the parks. I think we'll end up buying 2 day park hopper passes (in addtion to our one free day). so, we should have no problem seeing all 4 parks. Excellent.

But, I think I read that the backlot tour and the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids play area will be closed during our trip. Ah well. plent of other things to do.

 

[brewcrew80]

OK, So

3 weeks left and things are getting interesting. For real.

1) Last Wednesday, I lost my job. Laid off. Not AS bad as it sounds. I will work there through the end of April. and severance + vacation time will keep me getting a paycheck through most of August. It was a shock. Didn't see it coming at all. But, I've been looking to upgrade. This just provides motivation. And, as if I needed motivation.....

2) Kelly is pregnant! Very early. haven't even told people yet. That'll happen starting next week with our parents. My siblings, we will wait until the trip, since that'll be the next time I see 'em. And, it'd be a fun way to start the vacation.

So, it's been a busy couple weeks. Also had our weekend at the indoor waterpark last weekend, which was a lot of fun. I am pretty sure we'll have to peel Lydia away from the OKW pool...even if it involves going to a park.

This weekend is our annual ski trip with friends. We'll actually have to tell them the news since the weekend usually involves a heavy amount of drinking, and Kelly won't be able to stick to soda without an explanation.

So, fun stuff. I knew...I just knew, when I started this PTR several months ago, that it would turn into 'one of those PTRs' where crazy stuff happens leading up to the trip.

Anyway, I'm outa here for the weekend. Time for some skiing. Just hope the fact that I've been obsessed with the Winter Olympics doesn't cause me to try some crazy aerial skiing stunt.

 

[FreezinRafiki]

1) oh my god. That's quite a shock to get. I hope you find something soon. Why kind of work do you do?

2) Congratulations! I'll bet there will be quite a few dropped jaws around Old Key West!

 

[wdwgirl03]

Wanted to say congrats too. That will be very exciting news to share!

Hope you enjoyed your skiing!

 

[brewcrew80]

Wow. Single Digits. 9 Days!!!

Still things I don't know....

-Where we're staying on Saturday night. My brother volunteered to find a place...but, he's kinda been slacking. I'm not too worried. Just needs to have a couple beds...and a crib. Anyone know if most hotels in the area have cribs available for use?

-How we're getting to the airport on Saturday. I have a lot of extended family in Milwaukee. I could ask any of 'em for a ride and it'd give me a chance to tell them the exciting news (see last update). Just a matter of calling. Maybe that'll be a job for tonight.

-The Sunday of our trip is also causing some (very) minor stress. If the weather is good that day, it's a non-issue. Just check in to OKW and hang by the pool. But, my sister, brother and his wife aren't gonna get there until late morning. So, if the weather is questionable, it'd be a better park day. But, that'd kinda hose over the people that couldnt' get there right away. I feel I should have a plan in place for this and see what the late-arrivers think. I'm sure it'll just be a pool day anyway. It probably won't rain all day..And, even when it does, DTD is right across the river/lake.

Otherwise...
My parents surprised Kelly and I with combined b-day gifts. Tickets to Cirque on thursday night. They are don't the same for my brother and sister-in-law. So, that'll be great! I've never seen any Cirque shows, so this will be a new experience for me...and Kelly.

Pretty much set on 3 days at the parks. Bummer is..the way it works out, the ideal 3 days would be Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. It'd be ideal to have a break in there.

 

[brewcrew80]

4 days.

4 DAYS.

Everything is mostly in place. We have our ride to the airport. My cousin that lives in Milwaukee. We'll leave Green Bay around 11. get to Milwaukee at 1. Take my cousin out to lunch..then, on to the airport.

Also got a hotel for Saturday night. Right by the airport. shuttle service. That is good. My parents offered to come pick us up, but they're staying pretty close to the resort, so, it'd be a drive for 'em. plus, the 5 of us wouldn't be able to fit in their car.

Things will go pretty fast between now and then. big "meeting" at work today. Not so much a meeting as a pizza party to celebrate the department going down in flames. Nothing exciting tomorrow...But, Thursday is Christmas in March! That's right...first day of the NCAA Tourney. Work always seems to go fast on those days. So, NCAA tourney+upcoming vacation+my lame duck status...not sure how much work i'll be able to do on Thursday. haha.

Friday, I will be working 3 hours. I had it off as a vacation, but I had an interview on monday, so, I used 3 of my vacation hours that day. So, just long enough to tie up some loose ends and head out for the week.

 

[FreezinRafiki]

An interview already? Wow! How did it go?

 

[brewcrew80]

So, I guess it's trip report time. The vacation was excellent. Really, everything I hoped for.

Day 1-Saturday-Travel Day.

I knew it would happen. I woke up at 5AM and knew right away there was no chance I would fall back to sleep. So, I got up, watched Sportscenter, relaxed. Kept looking at the clock. It had been 10 months since the trip was planned and now it was just hours away. And that seemed too long. But, once Lydia woke up, time started moving fast. Gave her breakfast. Packed some stuff. Started the process of loading up the car. I let Kelly sleep in as long as possible, since the pregnancy has drained her energy and it would be a long day. So, she got up, with enough time to shower and load the rest of her stuff. Ready to leave.

We walked out of our house at about 11:30. First stop was Kelly's parent's house to drop off our dog for the week. We budgeted extra time to hang out there for a half hour or so. So, we did. Chatted. discussed plans. Then, out the door at about 12:15. And, just as I hoped, Lydia fell asleep as soon as we got on the highway. And woke up just north of Milwaukee. Perfect. So, we stopped at a Qdoba and had some awesomely excellent burritos and moved on to our last stop before the airport, my cousin's house.

We got there, picked up my cousin. This was the point that I had set in my head as the moment the vacation would really start. We'd get to see my cousin, tell her the exciting news and generally just catch up on the 25 minute drive to the airport. And, it was enjoyable. She was very excited for us taking such a massive family trip and she was eager to hear about our plans and thoughts.

So, next stop, airport. Got out of the car, unloaded our stuff, gave my cousin the keys, and walked in.....And of course, the first people we saw in the airport were Tom and Beth. Our travel partners for the day. They just finished checking bags,so they watched our carry-ons while we checked our luggage. Then went upstairs and hung out at Quizno's while they ate. We told them our news and they were highly excited. Lydia was excited to be in the airport. She climbed up on windows to stare at airplanes and looked around at everything around her. Time really flew before it was time for us to.

Boarded the plane. Lydia sat by the window. Thrilled to be sitting like a big girl and not in a car seat. Take off was great. She actually looked out the window and giggled as we left the ground. But, to her, the most amazing part was the 'table' that folded down from the seat in front of her. We put her portable DVD player on it, put in some Barney and she was dancing in her seat the whole flight. Really. Kelly and I got to read books, listen to music. Same stuff we'd do on a flight before we were parents. Even the landing was a non-issue. She was so amazed at the city lights getting closer and closer, I don't even think the ear pains bothered her.

So, we were on the ground in Orlando. Waited a little while for our luggage...started to get a little nervous, but it finally showed up. So, I called our shuttle and we were on our way to the hotel. We got there and decided to order pizza. It took forever to get there. Probably an hour. But, there was college basketball on and we were in Florida. So, as with the rest of the day, the time flew. We finished our pizza and went to bed. As far as travel days go, this was as smooth as it gets.

 

[FreezinRafiki]

Welcome back!
That certainly sounds like one of smoothest travel days I've heard of. Gotta love that.

You should post a link over on the DIS Dad's Club thread. The guys love reading trip reports.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2366118

 

[brewcrew80]

Sunday

-The first real day of vacation....and the one day that didn't happen at all as I thought it would...

I figured we'd wake up, call my parents, they'd pick us up and take us to OKW....kinda expected the 3 people driving from SC to get there around noon. They had a 7 hour drive. They PLANNED to leave at 3 AM...but, I had my doubts. Then, I figured we'd hang out by the pool all day.

So, woke up when Lydia did at around 7:30. Had continental breakfast. Sent a text to Pat, Kristen and Angie to see where they were. It wouldn't have at all surprised me if they had just decided to sleep all night and left early in the morning. NOPE. Pat texted me back. "just 90 miles to go!" I was shocked. I had to call him. They got up and were out the door by 2:30 AM. They took turns driving and they'd really be here by 9. So, under the original plan, they were gonna meet us at OKW. But, turns out, Pat already had the La Quinta Airport hotel in his GPS and was coming there to meet us!

So, Lydia and I finished breakfast, and we went to the room to tell the others that we'd have company in an hour. So, the line for the shower started and the next hour was a mix of dressing, eating and packing. Then, I got 2 phone calls within about 2 minutes. One from my parents saying they were on their way. And one from Angie...from downstairs, asking what room we were in.

So, all at once, all 10 of us were in Florida together....crammed into one tiny hotel room. Time to upgrade.

We called OKW..as expected, our villa wasn't ready. So, we drove to Downtown Disney. Took 2 cars and kinda took a back way in. I was enjoying being a passenger. Looking out the window for any hint of Disneyness. I took in all the billboards and signs. Then, we got there. Pulled into the parking lot behind whatever building has a statue of the Genie on top of it. So, after 10 months and 1400 miles and so much planning, we were welcomed to Disney property by Robin Williams' ***.

We walked around for a little while. Lydia loved the lego dogs and the lego dragon in the lake. Then, we decided to eat at Earl of Sandwich. new experience for all of us. We were lucky enough to find a table big enough for all 10 of us. So, i shared the pregnancy news with the remaining 3, and enjoyed our meal. REALLY enjoyed the meal. Great food there. and cheap. perfect lunch spot. Everybody loved it. I got the Hawaiin BBQ sandwich. Kelly referred to her Caprese as "the best sandwich she ever had."

After lunch, we just walked around, checked out the Disney stores. Then, it started to rain. Forecast said there was a chance of this. So, we figured it'd be a good time to head to Old Key West. We made the short drive over there. As soon as we got in the lobby, it started to pour. The lifeguards ran in with kids from the pool and gave them all white windsocks and markers. Lydia got one too and really enjoyed scribbling on her windsock. What a nice touch. Kelly was impressed too. She only stayed on Disney property once when she was 10. So, this kind of service was mostly new to her. After the lengthy check-in process, We drove to our room, unloaded...Of course, everybody was blown away by the size of our villa. But, it was kinda overshadowed by trying to haul suitcases in in the rain.

After the unloading was done, it was still pouring. So, my parents said they'd go to the grocery store and we could just hang out...that was nice. So, we did. The crew that drove from South Carolina was exhausted, so, they got to relax on the couch. Tom and I watched basketball. This was nice....for an hour. After that, I just wanted to be outside. Swim, walk, explore. I didn't care. I just felt so antsy being there after all the waiting and being trapped inside by a freakin' downpour. And it just kept coming.....

...for 3 or 4 hours with no break.

Finally, it slowed to a drizzle. So, Pat, Angie, Tom and I took a brief walk. Just to the pool and back. Felt good to be outside. So, we walked back and ate. Pat and Kristen made food for the night, so, we just ate in. Then drove to the boardwalk to walk around. It was a nice night. We got ice cream, took a lap around the lake. I enjoyed it. I really like seeing the Disney Resorts, So, walking through the Yacht and Beach club and Boardwalk was fun. Then we saw a street performer briefly and went back. It was only a little after 9, So, Tom, Beth, Kelly, Lydia and I put our suits on and sat in the hot tub for a while. Finally, some swimming. We even jumped in the main pool since they kept it at such a comfortable temperature. We knew monday would be Magic Kingdom day, so we didn't stay long.

On the way back, I decided I'd duck into the front desk and ask what the weather was looking like for tomorrow....ugh. "rain until about 2 pm." That made my stomach sink. Spending THE park day battling rain was not what I had in mind. Then, to make it worse, everybody else was in bed by the time we got back to the villa. So, any alterations to plans could not be discussed. And, I had no idea what people's plans for getting up the next day were. I found myself full of anxiety. Surprisingly, it didn't take too long to fall asleep.

So, the first real vacation day was over...and really...not what I had in mind. It had it's moments. But, what I thought would be a care-free day by the pool turned into a mostly frustrating day trapped inside, then a decent night followed by uncertainty for what I hoped would be a highlight of the trip the next day. Ah well. Not EVERYTHING could be perfect.....