How do a Princess & Pirates go from Wilderness Lodge to a Disney Cruise PTR

[2BoysMom]

Hello Everyone-

This first post has been edited briefly to let you know that for the first 12 pages of this PTR, my family and I were headed for a glorious trip to WL. Initially, you will read that the trip was schedule for March, then it had to be moved to May. There are stories along the way involving a Princess Half Marathon, and many pictures of people and places. The last week in March changed everything and now this PTR will be about planning for a Disney Cruise to celebrate two twin boys turning 5. Feel free to join the fun and the sweet people who have shared this board with me. If you just want to hop on at the beginning of the cruise planning, start with page 13.

Below is the beginning of the original PTR.... thanks for coming along!!

I have been on these boards for a few years now, and am a Registered Disney Fanatic, ooops, I mean ENTHUSIAST (RDE). I am always shocked at how low the # of posts are under my name, especially compared to other Disers, who I notice are in the thousands or several thousands. I guess I am more of a lurker than I thought. I feel like I post all of the time, but I guess not.

I have never written a Pre-Trip Report or an Actual Trip Report, even though as you can see by my signature, I have been to Disney several times in the last few years. So I am going to give it a try. There are so many wonderful writers on these boards, that at times I feel I have gotten to "know" them, as if we are actual friends. I decided I am going to try to make my own slight contribution.

So here are the cast members:
Me-Princess Donna - mother of twins & full-time graduate student
DH-Pirate Dave - puts up with my Disney addiction, ooops I mean enthusiasm.
Twin 1 - Pirate Alex 4 y.o. loves computers and taking charge
Twin 2 - Pirate Nathan 4 y.o. the sensitive artist type who believes the Disney characters are REAL. (They ARE of course, but believe it or not, not everyone thinks that way).

Here are some pics: This is my favorite pic of the boys from our Halloween trip to Disney. On the monorail on the way to MNSSHP.

Pirate Dave and Pirate Nathan:

Princess Donna and Pirate Alex, with Pirate Dave behind me:

I hope you enjoy these pics, and I will continue my Pre-Trip Report. I haven't even begun telling you about the upcoming DREAM trip we will be making this March. Hint, Hint....think Princess.

 

[carissanboys]

I have to support a fellow mom of boys! Your family is beautiful - and your boys are especially cute.

I see from your ticker that you're going for the half marathon? I thought about doing that at one point, but I think I'm too lazy to train for it. I'd love to hear all about your experience!

Looking forward to more.

 

[2BoysMom]

Carissa, thank you so much for reading and saying Hi

I see you are from Maryland. We lived in Washington, DC and Alexandria, VA before moving to Florida. Are you near that area in MD?

Being the Mom of boys should get us some kind of award, don't you think? I found this smilie today, Its called "hyper." I think a mother of boys must have created it. My boys were speech delayed for the longest time, but now that they can talk, they never shut up. It's amazing.

I hope I do OK with the Pretrip & Trip report. I'll do my best.

 

[carissanboys]

I see you are from Maryland. We lived in Washington, DC and Alexandria, VA before moving to Florida. Are you near that area in MD?

We're actually closer to Baltimore, but dh works in D.C. so he makes the commute every day.

Being the Mom of boys should get us some kind of award, don't you think? I found this smilie today, Its called "hyper." I think a mother of boys must have created it. My boys were speech delayed for the longest time, but now that they can talk, they never shut up. It's amazing.

My husband wonders why I like to be alone at night after the boys are in bed. I just don't want to hear anymore talking! No more questions!

I hope I do OK with the Pretrip & Trip report. I'll do my best.

You're doing just fine.

 

[2BoysMom]

Well...
I'm trying to decide how to proceed. Let's break it down (can you tell I'm in graduate school?)

1. Told you the cast members
2. Attached pictures of adorable boys and crazy parents willing to embarrass themselves by wearing costumes out in public.
3. ?

OK. I've got an idea. I'll tell you a story about what happens to crazy parents who wear full costumes out in public. They bump into former legal co-workers that they haven't seen in years on Test Track in the MK!

Unfortunately for Pirate Dave, as an attorney, he is suppose to behave in a respectable manner. Unfortunately for him again, he is married to me!
He puts up with my Disney "enthusiasm" and is a good sport most of the time. Needless to say, "Hey, let's wear costumes to Disney World!" was my idea and not his. But being a good Daddy, he went along with it.

While on Test Track (my first time on TT, too), this woman kept staring at me, and I her, and finally she yells out "Oh my God, Donna is that you?" And wouldn't you know it but they were old aquaintances from Dave's former law firm in Miami! Yikes.

Did my husband freak out, you wonder? As he was this other attorney's superior, did my DH think his professional reputation was now destroyed?

Nope. If you knew my husband, he is very low key and takes about everything in stride. Now the OTHER guy looked nervous as heck, and probably thought we were insane..........
but c'est la vie, that's just how we roll these days!

 

[carissanboys]

That's funny Donna! Isn't it funny how you can run into people like that?? Glad your husband was a good sport about it.

I sometimes struggle with what to write/post about in my PTR. Lovin' it so far.

 

[2BoysMom]

I'm sort-of new to this pasting-pictures-from-Photobucket thing. So I need to keep practicing. But isn't that what makes most Trip Reports so fun, is to see everyone's pictures, and put faces to names??

Here is a picture from the same Halloween trip that is one of my favorites:

Nathan is standing, Alex sitting. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE those Pirate ears! (Here's a hint to the future... I'm hoping for those ears to make a comeback on our upcoming trip...)

This is Alex shooting up bad guys.

And all my pirates on (WHERE ELSE), the POTC ride!

So far, this hasn't turned out to be a PRE-Trip report, but a PAST-Trip report.... But I promise future plans are coming, I just wanted you to get to know the actual knuckleheads were who are planning this thing...

 

[carissanboys]

Pictures are very important.

Did you "make" the pirate pants your boys are wearing? It looks like a pair of jeans and someone cut the bottoms - very cool!

 

[2BoysMom]

Carissa-
Since I'm new to these TR's, how did you put the links in your signature that leads to your TR's?

Thanks!

 

[carissanboys]

Carissa-
Since I'm new to these TR's, how did you put the links in your signature that leads to your TR's?

Thanks!

Cut/copy the URL of the first page of your PTR. Go to editing your signature, type the words of your title (or whatever else you want the link to say), highlight it, then click on the little icon that is a globe with what looks like a paperclip. A little box will pop up. Paste the URL in that box.

Let me know if that doesn't make any sense.

 

[2BoysMom]

Did you "make" the pirate pants your boys are wearing? It looks like a pair of jeans and someone cut the bottoms - very cool!

Thank you for continuing to read my TR. I hope others decide to pop on soon.

For some reason, my boys are SKINNY. A gene they did not inherit from their Mother! The jeans they were wearing still fit them in the waist, but were getting too short in the leg, so Yes, I did cut them to make Pirate pants. The shirt and socks are from Target (All Hail Target ), the belt is a piece of Mickey fabric from JoAnn's fabric store, and the only thing I really spent any money on were those fabulous Pirate Mickey ears!

Gosh.. I love those ears. Gosh...I just love everything about Disney!! (but don't we all, I KNOW I'm preachin' to the choir!)

The Pirate pants were pretty popular that night. We got many comments on the pants. Thanks for noticing this Mother's creativity!

 

[2BoysMom]

OK. Earlier in the PTR, maybe even my first post, I mentioned that Nathan is the sensitive artist type who BELIEVES the characters are all real. It's one of my greatest joys seeing him in the parks. I know that someday soon my little boys will become big boys, and some of the innocence might fall away... but right now I try to acknowledge and absorb it for as long as I can. Here are some pics of the boys on our trip to Disney (WHERE?) last May 2008, for their 4th birthday.

It was sort-of a last minute (in Disney planning time) trip, and many ADR's were booked up. I was, however, able to get them a "Princess Party" at Akershush.

"A PRINCESS PARTY AT AKERSHUSH FOR 4 y.o. BOYS????" You say with astonishment in your tone. Why, Yes! And you never saw so happy and excited little boys to hear that they were going to have a PRINCESS PARTY for their birthday. At the time, they did not differentiate between "that's for boys and that's for girls." So to them, this was a great idea and they loved their Mommy for it.

Besides noticing their pictures with the Princesses, check out Nathan's face in almost every one. He TOTALLY believed they were the actual Princesses from the stories. Nathan is in orange.

Belle. Their date for the evening.

My Disney daughter, princess Aurora.

Jasmine.

Alice came all the way from Wonderland.

And FINALLY, the cake with candles. A happy birthday was had by all!

 

[carissanboys]

Your boys are just too cute! Nathan's huge smile is the best!

Being the youngest, my four year old would not want to go to a princess meal. He's had the influence of the older brothers and what constitutes "girls" and "boys" things. A few months ago he started refusing to kiss his dad (he only kisses girls he says) or telling him he loved him (he only loves girls). Poor dh.

 

[2BoysMom]

Being the youngest, my four year old would not want to go to a princess meal. He's had the influence of the older brothers and what constitutes "girls" and "boys" things. A few months ago he started refusing to kiss his dad (he only kisses girls he says) or telling him he loved him (he only loves girls). Poor dh.

Ohhh your poor DH. If, or when, the boys say that to my DH, I think it would probably make him tear up. My DH is not the super demonstrative type, but I am, and I have taught the boys to be, and I know my DH likes that. His sons are able to do, comfortably, what he cannot.

My boys are just learning at school (Grrrrr.) the sexist stuff now, too. They have a friend Tucker, who has an older brother, and Tucker "teaches" them that kind of stuff.

It's hard watching them grow up, isn't it?

 

[carissanboys]

Ohhh your poor DH. If, or when, the boys say that to my DH, I think it would probably make him tear up. My DH is not the super demonstrative type, but I am, and I have taught the boys to be, and I know my DH likes that. His sons are able to do, comfortably, what he cannot.

My boys are just learning at school (Grrrrr.) the sexist stuff now, too. They have a friend Tucker, who has an older brother, and Tucker "teaches" them that kind of stuff.

It's hard watching them grow up, isn't it?

Dh seems okay with it. He knows Connor loves him and he does "allow" hugs. Luckily the two older ones don't have an issue with that stuff.

 

[2BoysMom]

OK. Since I brought up "school" in the last post, I will bore you with two more pictures of my twins. One of the reasons that I like these pictures, besides their blatant adorableness, is notice their backpacks and matching lunchboxes. This Mommy has been working on the Disney brainwashing since they came out of the womb.

Brotherly Love.

Go Mickey!

 

[2BoysMom]

OK Folks. Let's get down to business. I need to start writing stuff down that constitutes this in being a PRE-TR. Gosh golly, already Donna, get to it.

Here is my upcoming trip: In March, from 3/6-3/13 we are going back to Disney (WHERE?) for a WHOLE WEEK!! Yippee de do da! I can't tell you how happy I am. I have never stayed at Disney (WHERE?) a whole week. In the past we have done a weekend or a 4 or 5 day trip, but never this long.

It get's better (for me anyway ). Not only are we staying a WHOLE WEEK, but we are staying at WILDERNESS LODGE (I wish I could cue some music here right now).

I have been blessed to have stayed at a variety of on-site locations, but for one reason or another, have always missed out on getting into WL. Either it's been fully booked or was at Peak prices whenever I have gone in the past.

So, NOW, my longest trip yet to date, will also be at the resort I have been dying to stay at. Yippee de do da for me! (cue the music)


This is how it started (think back to hint):
I have signed up to do the inaugural Princess Half Marathon on 3/8. Originally, it was suppose to be a Me-Only trip (Mother's of twins don't get out much). I was booked at the CBR. When the buy4, get3 free special came out, I was intrigued but didn't think it could apply to my trip.

After a couple of months, I couldn't stand it anymore, and I did some research with my favorite TA-Melissa. She ran the numbers on a variety of resorts and all of a sudden WL became very doable. The dates also coincided with my Spring Break from college. The boys, however, will have to miss some ABC's in pre-school that week. Their Spring Break is at the end of March.

It is no longer a Mommy-only trip, but another Family Adventure, that includes DM powerwalking (I don't run) her first Half Marathon. I am hoping to use this PTR to also comment on my training results as I approach the deadline.

Thank you for continuing to read my PTR, and please feel free to pop on and say Hi as poor Carissa must have other things to do, then being the only person commenting on my report.

Stop by, say Hi. I don't bite.

 

[Northern Disney Girl]

Hey there! Great Start! Your boys are adorable! What great names too! (my second youngest nephew's name is Nathaniel - we call him Nate)

I wish you all the best in your training! It is a long hard road! I don't run either but my whole family and my DH are runners! I have cheered at over 20 marathons!

I hate to burst a potential bubble, but if you were counting on a potential P&P Party @ MK during the Half, I really hate to be the one to tell you that there is not going to be one! Apparently all the P&P Parties have been cancelled through April! The one that that was supposed to be included for the Half has been moved to DHS and is now called something different! So sad! We were really looking forward to doing a P&PP on our trip!

Regardless, good luck in your training for the Half! You are doing an awesome job on your PTR! Keep up the good work! I look forward to reading more when I return from my own trip!

 

[2BoysMom]

Thanks for coming by.

I already know about the P&P Party being cancelled. My ticket was already purchased, too. I received an e-mail today from Disney Sports about my refund, and they said that ALL the P&P parties for 2009 were cancelled by Disney Corp., so I think it might even go beyond April.

I guess this economy is hitting even Disney pretty hard. Thank goodness us RDE's (in first post) do what we can to help out!

Did I notice your trip is also at Wilderness Lodge??? You must be so excited!

 

[carissanboys]

Thank you for continuing to read my PTR, and please feel free to pop on and say Hi as poor Carissa must have other things to do, then being the only person commenting on my report.

Yay! We get to the plans!

Very cool about staying at Wildnerness Lodge. It's a beautiful place. (I've only ever been there once - on our first trip we ate at WCC.)

Can't wait to hear more!