Hedonists on Holiday: The "Broil Your Butt Off" Birthday Tour! We're DONE! New 8/14

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Cast:
Me - Disney commando, DIS board addict, and birthday girl (36, but I am aging gracefully )
DH - 38, pretends he doesn't love Disney but he really does. Wishes he could have a relaxing vacation but realizes there isn't much chance of that.
DS - almost 10, has that aloof attitude about going to Disney but acts excited to make me happy. He is THRILLED to have the chance to go to Disney with his beloved uncles!
Uncle1 - 40ish, my dear friend for the past 12 years, loves Disney
Uncle2 - 40ish, Uncle1's partner and also my dear friend, also loves Disney

I have been planning this trip since last November. After looking at the pics from our October trip Uncle1 said we should plan a group trip to Disney. DH said the uncles didn't REALLY want to do a group trip, they were just saying that to be polite. Originally we thought we were going over Memorial Day, but DH couldn't get that week off. When I announced that we were going in August I FULLY expected the uncles to bail, but being the amazing friends they are, they agreed to come with us! The official "Broil Your Butt Off" birthday tour planning got underway, and it IS a group trip!

We are exactly one month from departure. We arrive August 3 for 9 glorious nights of parks, dining, and surprises. I have bought enough stuff to fill a U-Haul. I have determined that the more time I have to plan, the more stuff I will purchase in preparation. Good thing we have plenty of luggage. Bad thing the airlines have weight restrictions on luggage.

This will be our first time in a deluxe resort (AKL). I am looking forward to that! This is also our first time to go to WDW in the blazing heat of summer. Not looking forward to that, but I think we can handle it. Uncle2 has declared that at no point during the entire trip is anyone allowed to say "It's hot." I am busy collecting synonyms for "hot". I am on the DIS every day to make sure I don't miss anything important. I am ready for heat, humidity, crushing crowds, creepy bed bugs, public urination, stomach viruses and anything else that comes our way! As the Designated Planner I have gone over our itinerary every single day for the past 7 months. ADRs were made at 180 days and have been changed relentlessly ever since! I made what I HOPE will be the last modification yesterday. We have all of our travel documents from AAA and as far as I can tell everything is in order.

DH delights in tormenting me, so he has threatened to hide my planning packet, said he won't pack until the night before we leave, and announced he is once again bringing The Camera. The Camera is my nemesis. It is ancient, it is heavy, it uses FILM for crying out loud! DH got it in high school and he is SURE that the perfect photo is just waiting to be unleashed by The Camera. He doesn't have a flash for it, and the photos that he took with it in October were worse than what I took with the disposable! But he INSISTS that this time will be different. Yeah, this time it will be 112 degrees instead of just 80-ish! I don't have to carry the blasted thing, but I DO have to stand there for DAYS while he tries to focus it, giving all the people in line behind us that embarrassed, apologetic little smile. We have a BRAND NEW digital camera. Has he bothered to take a single pic with it? Nope. Has he bothered to read the directions? Nope. Can I not just let him bring his 10 ton camera and shut up about it? Nope.

The next 31 days are going to DRAG, and it is my sincere hope that those days will drag by without a single remarkable event. A month without drama does not make for much of a pre-trip report, but I can live with that.

 

[Harmony272]

Your title just made me lol.

 

[KerriSue]

So far so good

Have a great trip, Im looking forward to reading the rest

Kerri

 

[jodistar]

Love the trip report so far! I say hide the camera, and make him bring the digital


Can't wait to hear more

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I can't hide The Camera because I don't know where DH keeps it!

Apparently the digital camera is "mine". DH even bought me a memory card for Mother's Day! That wasn't a bad thing - I asked for the card. I wasn't aware that asking for a memory card automatically made me the sole owner/user of the digital. Uncle1 is my techno savvy guy, so I think I can probably get some great pics as long as I bring the instruction booklet so he can help me!

 

[fizz13]

I had a feeling it had to be an August trip from the title, as I am arriving on 2nd August and have thought of nothing else but heat coping strategies. great pre-trip and i concur with a fellow poster that the "camera" should be hidden Have a great time,
Claire xx

 

[OhMari]

Lol, great start with your pre-trip report. My suggestion with the digital camera. Sit on your husband and show him how to use it, or better yet, make a 'date nite'-'camera nite' and show him how to use it. Sometimes new technology is scary to us, but once we learn how to use something we then love it.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I had a feeling it had to be an August trip from the title, as I am arriving on 2nd August and have thought of nothing else but heat coping strategies. great pre-trip and i concur with a fellow poster that the "camera" should be hidden Have a great time,
Claire xx

Maybe we will see you there! If you see a guy with a big, bulky camera and a blond woman looking REALLY irate be sure to say hello!

 

[luvmyboys]

great beginning! can't wait for the sweaty, sweltering, blistering, heated rest!!!

 

[Minniespal]

Excellent title ~ Can't wait to read all about it.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

while I wait for the next 29 days to pass.

Our first trip to WDW was in January, 2005. DS won an airline ticket and my friend told him he should use it to go to Disney. Sure! Why not? So we did. DH groused the whole time leading up to the trip because he could NOT fathom how it would be any different than Six Flags. By the time Wishes started the first night he said "I wonder when we can come back?"

We went back in October for our first attempt at hedonism. Material excess, gluttony, too-much-is-never-enough overindulgence. And we liked it.

As we rode back to the ariport on Magical Express DH decided that WDW at holiday time would be of great interest to him, but this was mid-October. I couldn't pull off another trip 2 months later, so that one will be THIS December as a surprise for DS. Oh, but we're talking about August, aren't we?

While the August week was #6 on my list of preferred weeks when DH bid for vacation time, it IS better than having all of his vacation time fall when DS is in school. AND it is my BIRTHDAY! AND the uncles are coming with us!

Uncle2 has a saying "Anything worth doing is worth OVERdoing." He will make an excellent hedonist! And bless them, the uncles haven't balked at a single one of my e-mails asking if we can add just ONE MORE OOP thing to the itinerary. I love them!

As I mentioned previously, DH pretends that he doesn't love Disney. He mumbles and complains and says it is too expensive. Yet he is the one who wants to go back at Christmas. He is the one who tells his co-workers to just get over the cost and book a trip. He is the one who was up at 5:50 AM in October to help me call for an IllumiNations cruise. He does love Disney. And he has NO earthly idea of how much it truly costs. Shh! Hopefully the APs I am buying will take some of the sting out of the price.

So here we are. Ready to go. In 29 days.

 

[Lil' Grumpy]

...this is a good report. [ i can't believe others are in the same
boat-luggage & all]. and if it's any consolation, i have a similar "10-ton"
camera...just waitin to break out! yep, my wife has the same attachment
[memory card] to our digital...it always get my atttention when others
are following the same "yellow brick road" to dizzland!

happy - -birthday trip! aaaahhhh! to be 36 again,
not only i'm getting older but "old-fashioned too"..can't wait until
platform shoes comeback in style..taps & all! couldn't helped noticing
your doobie bros' song .yep, life more interesting when you
use more than one of your 5 senses? my world by chicago
made a similar suggestion.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

When is your trip? I want to make sure DH doesn't bump into you and see that you also have a mammoth camera!

My signature quote changes, depending on what line I find particularly poignant. The Doobie Bros. line just seems to fit SO MANY situations I have left it alone.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Did you see back in Post #1 where I said I hope the days leading up to the trip pass without a single remarkable event? It's probably better not to say things like that. If the past 4 days are any indication of what the 23 days before the trip will be, we are in trouble!

DH's best friend was killed in a car accident early Friday morning. We spent Saturday, Sunday and Monday attending funeral-related events. DH is devastated, and DS9 has never been to a funeral before where everyone is SO, SO sad. It was a hard weekend for all of us. And in the category of "It's a Small World in a Bizarre Way" - I turned around at the funeral yesterday and the lady behind me is a manager at my Disney Store! Turns out she knew DH's friend, too.

Obviously nothing got done around the house while we were out, so next weekend will be a blur of domestic labor. I wasn't all that close to DH's friend, but I am still having a hard time keeping my focus. DS keeps spontaneously bursting into tears, but I think it is more fatigue and stress than anything else. He can't stand to see DH hurting. I am hoping Disney will help.

On to less intense topics...
I have a stye in my left eye that is driving me nuts. I wore high heels yesterday for the first time in probably a year. I think the circulation has finally returned to my toes, but MAN! does my back hurt! Note to self: no high heels at Disney. Note to all: wear the low heeled sling backs, even if it means people will be able to see the hole in the foot of your pantyhose. Additionally, you might want to keep some new pantyhose on hand so you will have some without a hole in the foot. Just in case.

I had one of those "Disney nightmares" the other night. This one involved going to our 7th floor room at AKL (yes, I know there are only 5 floors) and discovering we only have 2 TWIN beds. I took a shower before I went down to tell someone we needed a new room - not sure why. When I got downstairs the valet was working behind the front desk. As I was explaining the twin bed issue to her I remembered that I left ALL of our travelers checks and Disney Dollars at home, which was suddenly FAR more of an issue than the twin beds. Not sure how it ended. I think the shock of having no money woke me up!

23 days to go. No comment on what I hope will or will not occur in the span of those days.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I have decided the curse of being an obsessive planner is that there are so many things that can go wrong. Let's face it. I am a completely rigid person. I am totally inflexible when it comes to plans, which is a problem when the plans have to change.

Oprah did a show once about personality types and adaptability. Then she went on to explain what sort of disaster each personality would do well in. I am the one who would do well in a plane crash because I would plow over everybody else to get myself out. A ship wreck would be the end of me because I wouldn't be able to adapt to being stranded. My friend, who is the sweetest person in the world, would do well in a ship wreck because nothing upsets her. A change in plans would suit her fine, she could adapt. She would be the one in the plane crash letting everyone else go in front of her. I don't remember what point Oprah was trying to make, but it was interesting.

DH & I met with the pet sitter today and went over all of the info she needs to take care of our cats. They are pretty basic cats and she is a professional, so I think we're good. I'll leave her the vet's number, the carrier for the cats, and our cell #'s in case the vet needs to charge us vast sums of money for something. That happened last time, only we took the cat to the vet ourselves right before we left for the airport.

My new worry is the Super Shuttle. I booked online and prepaid. Now I am wondering what happens if they don't show up? At what point do we drive ourselves to the airport and leave the car in the remote lot? I call to ask them these questions. The man tells me that while they TRY to get everyone picked up it is by no means foolproof and I need to have a contingency plan. Oh, good! I feel better already! He goes on to tell me if we want a refund for the shuttle (if it never shows up) we will have to contact customer service and it could take awhile. This is getting worse and worse. He does absolutely NOTHING to allay my fears, but at least if the shuttle is a no show I can say I KNEW it might happen.

12 days seems like a relatively short amount of time to wait for something (compared to say, 8 months, which is how long we have been waiting) but on the other hand, it is a really LONG time for catastrophes to pop up. Multiple catastrophes are possible in a single day, so there is really no end to the amount of catastrophic events that could take place between now and August 3. Will we broil our butts off at WDW, or will we end up stuck at home where we can broil our butts without a single aspect of it being fun? Time will tell!

 

[goofymom23]

This sounds like it could be a great report. Sorry about your DH's friend. Keep it coming.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

We are closing in on departure! Well, sort of. We're leaving Thursday but with our work schedules this weekend is crunch time.

I was up at 7 AM to start packing. Of course that also meant laundry. I throw a load in the washer and get my stuff packed. So far, so good. I move on to DS9. I have been counting to make sure he has enough shorts and shirts to bring with us, but I never actually sorted them into matching sets. It is a tense process, but I manage to make 18 coordinated outfits and put them in his suitcase. I tell him it looks like he will have to go naked on Wednesday because otherwise he won't have an outfit for the plane. He is unfazed. I find 2 more pairs of his shorts in the laundry so he won't actually be streaking before we go.

I pack 2.5 checked bags and 2 carry-ons. One carry on weighs more than the checked bags. It is crammed with stuff, none of it clothing. I put some stuff in a backpack for DH and start tossing things in my "travel purse". More of a tote, if you want to get technical. I hope the airline doesn't get technical.

DH comes home, we have lunch, we take a nap. I wake up and start another load of laundry. Only we are out of soap. WHERE did the soap go? Didn't I JUST buy that container? I add it to my Target list. I haven't been to Target yet because I haven't made it out of my pajamas. DS and I went to the bank earlier but it was the drive through so I wore my pajamas.

I tell DH he MUST count his outfits NOW so I will know if I need to buy anything else. He counts. He has plenty. We decide that he will go to Sam's while I go to Target. But I can't go yet because I have to check our school supply stash against the list so I will know what we still need to buy. DH takes DS to Sam's while I work on the supply issue.

DH calls me from Sam's because the prescription he is picking up for me is about 66% more expensive than it should be. Hmm. Tell him I can't do anything about it. He calls back a minute later and tells me insurance won't cover it. I tell him insurance has NEVER covered it. He comes home and I see why it was so expensive. It is the WRONG thing! This has happened once before. I call the pharmacy. They promise to sort it out with my Dr.'s office on Monday, then we can go pick up the new prescription and return the wrong one. Yay. More stuff to remember!

I finally make it to Target where I spend $85 on school supplies and laundry detergent. And underwear for DH because he has now decided he doesn't have enough.

I am pleasantly surprised that DH has packed his things when I get home! I figured he would wait until Wednesday night. He has managed to completely fill 2 suitcases. Hmm. That means I can't put my travel pillow in his suitcase. DH is trying to convince DS to bring a bigger backpack, but I don't know why. He only uses the backpack for his stuff on the plane. Besides, DH has his own backpack plus a carry on, so I don't know why he cares how big DS's backpack is.

I think we're ready now. I have highlighted the things from the packing list that still need to be packed at the last minute. Obviously things like "boarding passes" and "travelers checks" are more important than "make up" and "swim goggles", but it is my goal to bring all of it.

I called the remote parking lot at the airport to ask if we need reservations. If the Shuttle doesn't show up the last thing I want to hear is that I need a reservation for remote parking. The man assures me he has plenty of spaces, I just need to show up. OK. Well, he sounds far more confident in his customer service capabilities than the guy at the shuttle! I am glad we have a contingency plan, especially since DH is worried about the shuttle, too.

This time Thursday we should be at MCO!!

 

[Hannahsmom]

WOW! I am so excited for you! 3 more days. I can't wait to read the next installment, and I am dying to know if the Supershuttle actually makes it.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

WOW! I am so excited for you! 3 more days. I can't wait to read the next installment, and I am dying to know if the Supershuttle actually makes it.

Yeah, you and me both!

Of course there wasn't enough stress involved for me already. Now we have TROPICAL STORM CHRIS! Cue torrential rains, places everyone, quiet on the set and ACTION!!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

We are done, both literally and figuratively. I am quite certain if you poke me with a fork my juices will run clear, not to mention the fact that the trip is over. Now let's see...

Wednesday, August 2
DS comes into the living room at 10:30 PM and announces he doesn't feel well. He doesn't look well, either. At 11:15 he proceeds to vomit all over the carpet in the hallway. Pasta with red sauce. Great. He also vomits all over the bathroom floor, the wall, the shower curtain, you get the picture. I send him to bed and start scrubbing. DH gives up trying to sleep and gets in the shower. He has to be at work at 3 AM.

Thursday, August 3
Fast forward to Thursday afternoon. Our flight is at 5:15 PM. It will cost over $1100 to fly out the next day, so we're hoping for the best. DS is looking a bit better and hasn't thrown up since 6 AM.

The airport shuttle is supposed to arrive between 2:45-3:00. They call at 2:25 to ask if we will fit in a Town Car that already has a driver and one passenger in it. Um, NO!!! We have 5 checked bags, 3 carry ons, and 3 backpacks. The only way we will fit in a Town Car is if the driver and the other lady GET OUT and give us the car! Driver says he will call dispatch and have them send a van. I start to sweat.

I call Super Shuttle at 2:48 and ask them what their plan is. They are sending a van in 20 minutes. At 3:15 the driver calls for more explicit directions. I attempt to give him directions while hyperventilating. He says he'll be here in 10 minutes. DH and I start bringing the bags downstairs. My cell phone rings with the flight update from American. DH finds those updates annoying so he HANGS UP! Forget the airport, I think I need to go to the ER. The shuttle arrives about 3:30. We load up and get on the road. Our driver likes to change lanes. Constantly. For no apparent reason. DH is scowling at me. I am scowling back. Luckily the airline calls back so I have our gate info.

We get to the airport, check our bags, go to the gate. Flight is on time and uneventful, which is how I prefer my flights.

We get to MCO, get on Magical Express, finally make it to AKL around 10:45 PM. We were the last stop after Pop and All Stars.

We check in and I am delighted to find we have been upgraded from Standard to Pool view. We had a beautiful room on the 5th floor (5466). No bunk beds, but 1) I am not sure our TA requested them and 2) I never mentioned them to DS so he has no clue it was possible to have them. The noise from the pool wasn't too bad with the balcony door closed.

We popped down to Mara for something to eat (we had to hurry because they closed at 11:30). The food was fine - not amazing, but pretty good. We got back up to the room and our luggage came at 12:15. I was a little surprised because I thought they held luggage after a certain time until the next morning. DH was already out cold and didn't even realize they brought the bags. DS and I went to sleep about 12:45 AM.