fizz13
<font color=33cc99>Dreams about being stuck on Spa
- Joined
- May 6, 2004
- Messages
- 5,791
Hi there! Can I start by saying that I have a few trip report heroes: Ms PennieLane, Kevin Stringer, Janet2K among others. This report will be NOTHING LIKE THOSE as I'm afraid I missed the writer's gene at birth. However I did get the "love all things Disney for ever more" gene in abundance, so it looks like I am in the right place!
Lets start with a few FAQ:
DATES OF TRIP: jan 1st to 14th
CAST MEMBERS: Claire, me, 26, been twice before in 2002 and 1990. 4 trips to DLP. favourite character is Stitch so I intend not to go on the ride so as not to spoil my image of him.
DH, James, 27, been in 2002 and loved it enough to go back. details and planning are not his thing though, and just wants to enjoy the ride.
DD, Cara, 5, getting 2 weeks off school for this but wants to take her reading books with her so she doesn't miss anything. Loves all the princesses, Tigger, Lilo and Stitch...actually all of them. Has to ride everything she possibly can and insists she is doing TOT. We'll see...
DS, Dean,3, went as a baby so does not remember any of it. Wants to cuddle all the characters and says he wants to ride everything, but when watching planning video, does check he won't have to. Has been prone to "off the chart" temper tantrums lately, so prepare for possible war!
DS, Charlie, 11months but will turn 1 on this trip! very friendly, sociable and smiley, does not cry easily and doesn't seem to scare either (read:brave boy on Nov5th).
BIL, Alex, 21. New to anything Disney but definately wanted to come. Just goes along with plans (that's what we like to hear) and gets on well with his brother, great with kids. One sticking point: is an Arsenal fan, DH is a Tottenham fan. Thrill ride seeker.
SIL, Lyndsey, 23. We like her! Great with kids and babysitting, loves all things Disney and cannot believe her luck to be invited. Will be forever in my debt. Nice female company for me too.
PHEW! I thought we were never going to get to the end of that. Right, a bit of background for you. My grandparents came out to Orlando for Xmas 4 years ago and went along for a timeshare presentation to get some free tickets. Turns out they liked the development, they bought into it...not once...but twice! They acquired a 3 bedroom unit at the Whyndham Palms, which consists of a 2 bed. villa and a 1 bed. villa, which are adjoined with a porch. These count as 2 seperate properties but we will always be able to use them alongside each other. They phoned me on Xmas morning and gave me my best Xmas present ever!! I cried, they cried..it was a whole soggy story of a Xmas.
They had chosen the first 2 weeks of January, I think for price but actually the best time they could have chosen for Disney crowds. We booked to go in January 2002 and had a blast. The crowds could not have been lower (for obvious tragic reasons), the weather held enough for us to even go to Wet n Wild for a day and we crammed evrything in. 9 parks in 14 days Word to the wise
O NOT DO THIS, YOU WILL NEED A HOLIDAY TO RECOVER!
We came back with overlimit credit cards and blisters but had the time of our lives. However, we decided to wait till our kids were bigger before we went again, so we could ride stuff together, and we could eat in nice places. Sorry, I had to have another one didn't I?(see cast list). We scheduled the next trip for Jan 2005 as DH would have waited longer, I wanted to go again now and this was our compromise.
Now, we knew we had the empty space next door, so who to take. Both sets of parents declined, one set for financial reasons, the other for work reasons (MIL is a teacher and couldn't take time off) so the offer floated around for a while. WE eventually asked Alex and Lyndsay outright if they felt they would like to come and YES PLEASE was the response. They cancelled their summer plans to save up for better winter ones.
Thus followed prowling the internet for many houurs, reading and posting, tweaking itinerarys, dining reviews etc. I also have enough Disney guide books to stock a travel section but that's another story. I found a great price on a 7 seater minivan through USCarhire. £358.00 for 14 days, and got discounted park tickets. I have pre-booked my seats with Virgin (we'll see if I actually get what I asked for) and Charlie has his own seat on the plane which should make it easier. I have made all my PS which I shall come to later and I think I'm ready...oh yeah, better pack my case first.
Now, who would like to see the itinerary? All right, if you insist.
January
1st:LAND AT 3:40PM. PS AT RAINFOREST CAFE DTD
2nd: SEAWORLD
3rd: EPCOT PS AT PSB 8:50AM. PLANS TO RESORT HOP IN AFTERNOON. PS AT BLUEZOO FOR 8PM. (just James and me)
4th: DAY OF REST. PS AT HOOP DE DOO REVUE 7:15PM.
5th: AK. PS AT CHEF MICKEYS FOR 5:40PM
6th: IOA
7th: MK. PS AT CRT 9:25AM. HAVE A REST, THEN EPCOT FOR ILLUMINATIONS, TEPPANYAKI AT 6:30PM.
8th: DAY OF REST. EVENING AT CITYWALK
9th: UNIV. ST.
10th: MGM ST. PS AT 50S pt CAFE AT 12:15pm. STAY FOR FANTASMIC
11th: MK. PS AT CRYSTAL PALACE AT 8:10AM. FAMILY MAGIC TOUR AT 10AM. 1/2 DAY. PS AT OHANA AT 7PM
12th: DAY OF REST
13th: CHARLIE'S 1ST BIRTHDAY
MK, PS AT CRYSTAL PALACE AT 11:30AM. REST TIME. BACK IN MK FOR EVENING SPECTRO AND WISHES
14th: DAY OF REST, PACKING, TRIP HOME. WONDERLAND TEA PARTY BOOKED FOR CARA AND DEAN AT 1:30PM. TAKE-OFF AT 7:55PM.
This gives you a rough idea. Now, I have been looking at the weather of late and it looks decidedly unpredictable, so we would very much like to go to Blizzard Beach but we shall have to wait and see. I would also like to go and see the spruced up Cypress gardens if I get the chance, as well as Disneyquest and pleasure Island.
I have aspirations of getting my boys' haircuts done at Main St Barbershop, Cara waking up Tinkerbell, getting monorail drivers certificates for the kids, the kids opening up Toontown and riding the Barnstormer with Goofy, getting chosen to be in a parade, meeting all the charcters, you get the idea (OH THE STRESS!) Of course, you know all this is down to the DIS. If it wasn't for you guys, I wouldn't know about 1/2 this stuff so thankyou very much and I'll be sure to fill you in when I get back, how much of it I actually get done.
I haven't packed one thing in a case yet, so we'll see how that goes next week, I just want to get Xmas done and dusted first. Thankyou for getting to the end and Happy Xmas to all!
Claire
Lets start with a few FAQ:
DATES OF TRIP: jan 1st to 14th
CAST MEMBERS: Claire, me, 26, been twice before in 2002 and 1990. 4 trips to DLP. favourite character is Stitch so I intend not to go on the ride so as not to spoil my image of him.
DH, James, 27, been in 2002 and loved it enough to go back. details and planning are not his thing though, and just wants to enjoy the ride.
DD, Cara, 5, getting 2 weeks off school for this but wants to take her reading books with her so she doesn't miss anything. Loves all the princesses, Tigger, Lilo and Stitch...actually all of them. Has to ride everything she possibly can and insists she is doing TOT. We'll see...
DS, Dean,3, went as a baby so does not remember any of it. Wants to cuddle all the characters and says he wants to ride everything, but when watching planning video, does check he won't have to. Has been prone to "off the chart" temper tantrums lately, so prepare for possible war!
DS, Charlie, 11months but will turn 1 on this trip! very friendly, sociable and smiley, does not cry easily and doesn't seem to scare either (read:brave boy on Nov5th).
BIL, Alex, 21. New to anything Disney but definately wanted to come. Just goes along with plans (that's what we like to hear) and gets on well with his brother, great with kids. One sticking point: is an Arsenal fan, DH is a Tottenham fan. Thrill ride seeker.
SIL, Lyndsey, 23. We like her! Great with kids and babysitting, loves all things Disney and cannot believe her luck to be invited. Will be forever in my debt. Nice female company for me too.
PHEW! I thought we were never going to get to the end of that. Right, a bit of background for you. My grandparents came out to Orlando for Xmas 4 years ago and went along for a timeshare presentation to get some free tickets. Turns out they liked the development, they bought into it...not once...but twice! They acquired a 3 bedroom unit at the Whyndham Palms, which consists of a 2 bed. villa and a 1 bed. villa, which are adjoined with a porch. These count as 2 seperate properties but we will always be able to use them alongside each other. They phoned me on Xmas morning and gave me my best Xmas present ever!! I cried, they cried..it was a whole soggy story of a Xmas.
They had chosen the first 2 weeks of January, I think for price but actually the best time they could have chosen for Disney crowds. We booked to go in January 2002 and had a blast. The crowds could not have been lower (for obvious tragic reasons), the weather held enough for us to even go to Wet n Wild for a day and we crammed evrything in. 9 parks in 14 days Word to the wise
O NOT DO THIS, YOU WILL NEED A HOLIDAY TO RECOVER!We came back with overlimit credit cards and blisters but had the time of our lives. However, we decided to wait till our kids were bigger before we went again, so we could ride stuff together, and we could eat in nice places. Sorry, I had to have another one didn't I?(see cast list). We scheduled the next trip for Jan 2005 as DH would have waited longer, I wanted to go again now and this was our compromise.
Now, we knew we had the empty space next door, so who to take. Both sets of parents declined, one set for financial reasons, the other for work reasons (MIL is a teacher and couldn't take time off) so the offer floated around for a while. WE eventually asked Alex and Lyndsay outright if they felt they would like to come and YES PLEASE was the response. They cancelled their summer plans to save up for better winter ones.
Thus followed prowling the internet for many houurs, reading and posting, tweaking itinerarys, dining reviews etc. I also have enough Disney guide books to stock a travel section but that's another story. I found a great price on a 7 seater minivan through USCarhire. £358.00 for 14 days, and got discounted park tickets. I have pre-booked my seats with Virgin (we'll see if I actually get what I asked for) and Charlie has his own seat on the plane which should make it easier. I have made all my PS which I shall come to later and I think I'm ready...oh yeah, better pack my case first.
Now, who would like to see the itinerary? All right, if you insist.
January
1st:LAND AT 3:40PM. PS AT RAINFOREST CAFE DTD
2nd: SEAWORLD
3rd: EPCOT PS AT PSB 8:50AM. PLANS TO RESORT HOP IN AFTERNOON. PS AT BLUEZOO FOR 8PM. (just James and me)
4th: DAY OF REST. PS AT HOOP DE DOO REVUE 7:15PM.
5th: AK. PS AT CHEF MICKEYS FOR 5:40PM
6th: IOA
7th: MK. PS AT CRT 9:25AM. HAVE A REST, THEN EPCOT FOR ILLUMINATIONS, TEPPANYAKI AT 6:30PM.
8th: DAY OF REST. EVENING AT CITYWALK
9th: UNIV. ST.
10th: MGM ST. PS AT 50S pt CAFE AT 12:15pm. STAY FOR FANTASMIC
11th: MK. PS AT CRYSTAL PALACE AT 8:10AM. FAMILY MAGIC TOUR AT 10AM. 1/2 DAY. PS AT OHANA AT 7PM
12th: DAY OF REST
13th: CHARLIE'S 1ST BIRTHDAY
MK, PS AT CRYSTAL PALACE AT 11:30AM. REST TIME. BACK IN MK FOR EVENING SPECTRO AND WISHES14th: DAY OF REST, PACKING, TRIP HOME. WONDERLAND TEA PARTY BOOKED FOR CARA AND DEAN AT 1:30PM. TAKE-OFF AT 7:55PM.
This gives you a rough idea. Now, I have been looking at the weather of late and it looks decidedly unpredictable, so we would very much like to go to Blizzard Beach but we shall have to wait and see. I would also like to go and see the spruced up Cypress gardens if I get the chance, as well as Disneyquest and pleasure Island.
I have aspirations of getting my boys' haircuts done at Main St Barbershop, Cara waking up Tinkerbell, getting monorail drivers certificates for the kids, the kids opening up Toontown and riding the Barnstormer with Goofy, getting chosen to be in a parade, meeting all the charcters, you get the idea (OH THE STRESS!) Of course, you know all this is down to the DIS. If it wasn't for you guys, I wouldn't know about 1/2 this stuff so thankyou very much and I'll be sure to fill you in when I get back, how much of it I actually get done.
I haven't packed one thing in a case yet, so we'll see how that goes next week, I just want to get Xmas done and dusted first. Thankyou for getting to the end and Happy Xmas to all!
Claire
