I Could Have Had a Cruise. Instead, I'm Going to WDW! May 2010 PTR - ONE MORE DAY!!!

[cinderella crazy]

Welcome to my PTR! I actually can’t believe I’m writing one. You see, I never thought that other people would be interested in our Disney plans (Well, at least I’m hoping some people will be). Then I discovered the DISboards and found that there are people out there who are as fanatical about Disney as I am! Yay! We'll be at Disney from May 21-28. So excited!

In the coming posts, I hope to include (As I post each item I'll supply links to them for easy access):
1. The Cast
2. To Cruise or Not To Cruise. That Was the Question. - Part 1 Part 2
3. Our Past is our Future…Or Something Like That
4. A Reunion, A Short Dinner, An Argument, And A Whole Lotta Towels
5. Eeney Meeney Miney Moe. WL, Poly...I Don't Know
6. Our Disney Nights: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12 - Part 1, #12 - Part 2
7. Food! Glorious Food! (And I Do Plan On Having Hot Sausage and Mustard)
8. Our Plan of Attack: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Revisions, Day 4, Day 5, Revisions - Part 2, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9, Day 10
9. My Quest To Shed Some Pounds Before I Stuff My Face.
10. I Am Not Leaving Until I Get To Do...
11. Taking A Little Detour - AKA We're Not Staying At The Poly Anymore!!
12. Big Changes Coming?
13. And The Winner Is.... - AKA We're Not Saying At The YC Anymore!!
14. And drumroll please…Our quest to plan a special romantic (well, at least our version of romantic) night. (Trust me, it’s going to be interesting)
15. Oh I can't resist. Here's some purchases we've made for our Disney trip: Retail Therapy, Shopping! Shopping!, I Feel The Need, The Need To...SHOP!, I Really Need To Stay Away From Target And The Dollar Store
16. Our Countdown Calendar
17. Mickey Mail!!!
18. Kids Travel Books/Great Disney Book For Kids - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
19. Time To Do Some Packing!
20. Snack Time!
21. ONE MORE DAY!!!!!!

And BONUS, (a nod to my girl Stacy who's on Resort TV), some off topic posts: Mr. Snowball Man, Yo ho! Yo ho! A Pirates Life For Me, Getting purty for WDW, Big Weekend Ahead, Oh The Things We Mothers Do For Our Children!, Fun At The Dentist, It's Not Disney World! It's Dollywood! - Part 1, It's Not Disney World! It's Dollywood! - Part 2, Return Trips To Knoxville Zoo and Dollywood, Easter, Our Hole In The Wall, Mother's Day

So sit back, grab something good to eat (preferably with butter or fat) and a drink, and join me for the planning of our next WDW trip.

 

[cinderella crazy]

Y’all ready? I mean are you really ready? There’s no turning back now. For better, or for worse, you’re about to be introduced to my family. Don’t say I didn’t warn you…

Okay, here goes:

First there’s me (because I’m special and I need to be first)

My name is Alicia and I’m a Disney fanatic. I’m a 33 year old stay-at-home mom. I used to be a music teacher but I got kicked out because I couldn’t carry a tune…Nah! Just kidding. I did teach music though. I am addicted to coffee. There, I admitted it! I seriously do not function until I’ve had two big mugfulls of coffee. And I do have video proof of this. I live in Knoxville, TN (or as us hip locals call it K-Town) with my wonderful husband (don’t y’all feel sorry that he has to live with me), our hyper 6 year old DS, our 3 year old little princess, and our two cats (who have issues of their own). I like to cook, eat, bake, crosstitch, read, sing (sometimes in inappropriate places), and plan Disney trips. This will be my ninth trip to WDW.

Next there’s my DH, Mike.

He’s 34 but he’ll be 35 when we go on our trip (something I like to remind him of often) He is the best husband/father in the world (I mean, he puts up with me so he must be a saint). He’s an electrical engineer which means most of what he does makes no sense to me. Seriously, he can do math in his head and I…well I just can’t. I need a calculator. He’s our reservation maker. He calls to reserve our hotels and food. He also likes to make lists: the where to go eat list, the what rides should we ride list, the why did I marry this crazy women list. He’s also the serious one. He can let loose every once in awhile but compared to me, he’s calm and serious. He’s also the accountant. He keeps every receipt, records every penny we’ve spent, and makes out the trip budget. This will be Mike’s eleventh trip to the World.

Thirdly, we have our 6 year old DS, Alex.

He is just like his daddy (except he got a little bit of my craziness). He is a ball of energy! He’s like the Energizer bunny, y’all! I kid you not! But even though he’s got all this energy, he’s still very reserved and thoughtful. He’s the careful one. He doesn’t jump into things without considering what will happen to him or others around him. Which usually means he isn’t always gung-ho about trying certain rides (He had to really think about riding the Barnstormer). That doesn’t mean that he won’t ride, he just has to think about it for awhile. He’s tall enough to ride every single ride at WDW but won’t. This will be Alex’s 5th trip.

Next we have the princess of the family.

So if DS is just like his daddy, guess who are 3 year old DD is like? Her name is Lauren but really, you can call her princess. You know how people say siblings are as different as day and night? That’s my 2 children. She’s a daredevil! She would ride every single ride at WDW if she was tall enough. On our last trip (when she was 2), she begged to ride ToT… Y’all pray for us! She is a pistol! Whew! She loves anything that has to do with Disney princesses, Tinker Bell, and Hello Kitty (or as she calls it, Doctor.). This will be Lauren’s 3rd trip (She’s had a hard life. Been to Disney 3 times in her 3 years of life).

Last but not least is my wonderful Mommy.

I love my Mom. She is awesome! I could literally get choked up talking about my Momma. Her name is Lynda and right now she’s 63 years old. She’ll be 64 when we go though (unlike with Mike, I don’t remind her of this often). She has worked for the same company for over 35 years (I can’t imagine!). This will be Mom’s third trip with us and I’m really not sure how many total for her. She sometimes HAS to go for conferences and stays at CSR. Boohoo! She is the easy-going one in the group. She doesn’t care where we stay or where we eat, just as long as she gets to spend time with her grandkids and her wonderful daughter. Sigh. I just think my Mom is the best!

Oops! I almost forgot! We have two kitties that will not be joining us on our trip. They will stay here and get water, food, and love from Mike’s mom (also named Lynda. Weird, huh?). Not too worried about our younger cat, Darby.

She’s a 2 year old hyper kitty. She’s so cute though, I usually forgive her for her craziness.

Tigger is our “elderly” cat.

He’s 9 years old and y’all, he’s got problems. I’m kind of worried about him. He gets separation anxiety. He looks at Darby like she’s a freak (well, she kind of is).

So that’s who we are. I hope I haven’t scared y’all off! This is going to be a very special trip for us. You know how Disney’s asking “What will you celebrate?” Well, we’re going to celebrate! I’ll talk more about that in my next post.


Next Post: To Cruise Or Not To Cruise. That Was The Question - Part 1

 

[kangaand2roos]

I'm in! We'll be missing you by a couple of weeks. We'll be there the first week of May. I can't wait to hear more!

 

[cinderella crazy]

I'm in! We'll be missing you by a couple of weeks. We'll be there the first week of May. I can't wait to hear more!

I would love to go earlier but DS is in school so we're waiting till he gets done. We went last May and it rained almost every single day! A tropical storm came through. The kids thought it was fun though!

 

[leamom2princesses]

Hi there! I'm in! Great start to your PTR. You are too funny. I think we are going to be there at the same time. Our dates are May 22-29 and we're staying at the Poly (our dream resort). Can't wait to read more!

 

[cinderella crazy]

Hi there! I'm in! Great start to your PTR. You are too funny. I think we are going to be there at the same time. Our dates are May 22-29 and we're staying at the Poly (our dream resort). Can't wait to read more!

Thanks! We will be there at the same time! How fun!

I would have added more last night but there's this little show called "Lost" that makes my Tuesday nights very unproductive (If anyone has any ideas what's going on, let me know. I'm kind of...lost) That, and the men's skating short program on the Olympics. I just love the skating. It's absolutely beautiful how they can convey the music while skating on the ice.

 

[leamom2princesses]

Thanks! We will be there at the same time! How fun!

I would have added more last night but there's this little show called "Lost" that makes my Tuesday nights very unproductive (If anyone has any ideas what's going on, let me know. I'm kind of...lost) That, and the men's skating short program on the Olympics. I just love the skating. It's absolutely beautiful how they can convey the music while skating on the ice.

There are a bunch of us DIS'ers going the same week. Mary (MaryAz) started a thread for DIS'ers going that week. You should check it out.

We watched the skating last night too. The guy doing his routine to the Jimi Hendrix music made me laugh. I don't think Jimi played that song thinking a guy in a tight leotard would be dancing and jumping around on ice to it. I do love to watch the skaters interpretation of the music though.

 

[kangaand2roos]

Thanks! We will be there at the same time! How fun!

I would have added more last night but there's this little show called "Lost" that makes my Tuesday nights very unproductive (If anyone has any ideas what's going on, let me know. I'm kind of...lost) That, and the men's skating short program on the Olympics. I just love the skating. It's absolutely beautiful how they can convey the music while skating on the ice.

I've got them both on TiVo and was hoping to watch today, but I've got a sick little man at home and I'm watching Kim Possible with him...

 

[cinderella crazy]

There are a bunch of us DIS'ers going the same week. Mary (MaryAz) started a thread for DIS'ers going that week. You should check it out.

We watched the skating last night too. The guy doing his routine to the Jimi Hendrix music made me laugh. I don't think Jimi played that song thinking a guy in a tight leotard would be dancing and jumping around on ice to it. I do love to watch the skaters interpretation of the music though.

I thought the skating to Jimi Hendrix was funny too. There was also a Japanese skater (Nobunari Oda) that they said was the 17th decendent of a Japanese war lord (Nobunaga Oda) . There were some Nintendo games made about him. I thought it was kind of funny how the family tree goes from war lord to figure skater.

I'll have to check out that thread about that week in May. Thanks!

I've got them both on TiVo and was hoping to watch today, but I've got a sick little man at home and I'm watching Kim Possible with him...

I'm so sorry about your little man being sick. I hope he feels better soon! I recorded the Olympics last night since I knew I'd miss some of it while I was watching Lost.

Tonight I'm torn between watching Amercian Idol and Apolo Ohno. Something is going to have to be recorded. I just can't decide which one. Decisions, decisions.

 

[cinderella crazy]

So now that you’ve been introduced to cast of characters, it’s time to address what the title of this PTR is about. I know, it sounds obvious “I could have gone on a cruise but instead, I chose to go to WDW.” While that’s true, there’s a whole back-story. It’s romantic, it’s sappy, it’s a tear jerker (at least it was for me) but in there is a happy ending.

Let’s begin with what we’re celebrating. Mike and I are celebrating our 10 year anniversary. We’ll be celebrating in May 2010 when in reality our actual anniversary will be January 2011. Huh? You see, the kids will be in school during that time and we didn’t want to burden one of our moms with having to not only watch the children for however long Mike and I would be gone, but also with having to take the kiddos to school. So we decided to go earlier than our actual anniversary (after Alex is out of school) but also during a time where there aren’t humongous crowds.

We had a dilemma though. We honeymooned at Disney World so we had always talked about returning for our tenth anniversary. We stayed at the WL and had an amazing time! We were there for a total of 10 days and explored pretty much every inch of that resort and had a wonderful time in the parks (even though it was between 30-40 degrees a couple of days). Here’s some pics of our honeymoon (Be prepared. These were taken 9 years ago when I was blonde and about 20 pounds lighter. Don’t say I didn’t warn you):

Here's a pic of the WL:

This is Mike at "our spot" that we found that overlooks the lobby:

Of course I'm getting ready to eat! It's on of my favorite things to do.

Until about 2 years ago, the plan was to go to WDW on our anniversary. But then it happened. We went on a cruise. We started looking at cruising and wondered if we would like to go on a long cruise for our celebration. Only one problem: we’d never been on one. So of course we had to do a test run! We decided to go on a 3 night Bahamas cruise. We LOVED it! Once you’re on the ship you don’t have to go anywhere. You can do absolutely nothing. It was wonderful. You can also eat all the time, which I took full advantage of (I gained 5 pounds in 3 days). So we came home from our cruise determined to go on a longer cruise for our anniversary. Here’s a couple pictures form our cruise (Again, I have blonde hair that’s quite a bit longer than it is now):

Mike really enjoyed wearing his life vest:

Taken while on the island of Cococay:

The only formal dinner of the cruise:

Taken at Nassau in front of our cruise ship:

Flash forward to January, 2010. We had figured out a way to combine Disney and our cruise. We decided to stay for 2 nights at the WL and then go on a 7 night Caribbean cruise (on a non-Disney cruise line). We had my Mom all set to watch the kids. We booked our room at the WL, booked the cruise, booked our flights, booked the shuttle service to take us from Disney to Port Canaveral (I say we but really Mike did all of the work). We even had our ADRs booked. And then something unexpected happened.

Starting around January the kids started asking about going back to WDW. They would talk about what rides they would go on and how Nana (my Mom) would come with us. At first Mike and I thought it was cute and sweet. And then the guilt set in. Not only were Mike and I going to be away from the children for 9 days, we were also going to Disney without them. Plus, 9 days is a long time for anyone to watch 2 small children. I don’t doubt Mom could do it but it would still be a challenge.

There was one particular day that Lauren said something hilarious! She was talking about wanting to go to WDW and she said “Tomorrow, after I’m born, I’m going to go to Disney World.” Hmm…I think she’s a little confused about what “being born” means.

What will we decide to do? Find out in the next installment. To Cruise Or Not To Cruise. That Was The Question - Part 2

 

[cinderella crazy]

Anyway, one night in January, after the children went to bed, Mike and I sat down and heart to heart discussion. From our discussion we decided that 9 days was going to be too long for us to leave our little ones. We also, through the course of trying to plan only 2 days in Disney, discovered there was way too much we wanted to do in WDW. The kids wanted to go to Disney, we wanted to go to Disney, the kids wanted Mom to come to Disney (which we were thinking would allow us a romantic night in Disney for ourselves). Normally, we do not give into our children’s every little desire. But, we’re a family and for us, this just felt like the right thing to do. So Mike cancelled the cruise and cancelled the 2 day Disney trip (we originally were booked for June). We’re basically going to lose the money for our flights (not too happy about it but oh well).

We wasted no time after we made our decision. We’ve booked the rooms, booked the ADRs, and are in the process of planning our romantic night. So that’s the story of how I once had a cruise but now I have an anniversary trip to WDW…with my children…and my Mom. I know it might sound crazy to some, but you did read about us in the previous post about who we are, right? No explanation necessary.

I mean, just look at us:

We have ninja bag puppets at our house:

Lauren likes to talk to toilet paper and tell it how pretty its dress is. (She's sometimes in her own little world):

Coming up next: The past trips that have influenced the planning for this visit (with more older photos of me). Our Past Is Our Future...Or Something Like That

 

[kangaand2roos]

Anyway, one night in January, after the children went to bed, Mike and I sat down and heart to heart discussion. From our discussion we decided that 9 days was going to be too long for us to leave our little ones. We also, through the course of trying to plan only 2 days in Disney, discovered there was way too much we wanted to do in WDW. The kids wanted to go to Disney, we wanted to go to Disney, the kids wanted Mom to come to Disney (which we were thinking would allow us a romantic night in Disney for ourselves). Normally, we do not give into our children’s every little desire. But, we’re a family and for us, this just felt like the right thing to do. So Mike cancelled the cruise and cancelled the 2 day Disney trip (we originally were booked for June). We’re basically going to lose the money for our flights (not too happy about it but oh well).

We wasted no time after we made our decision. We’ve booked the rooms, booked the ADRs, and are in the process of planning our romantic night. So that’s the story of how I once had a cruise but now I have an anniversary trip to WDW…with my children…and my Mom. I know it might sound crazy to some, but you did read about us in the previous post about who we are, right? No explanation necessary.

I mean, just look at us:

We have ninja bag puppets at our house:

Lauren likes to talk to toilet paper and tell it how pretty its dress is. (She's sometimes in her own little world):

Coming up next: The past trips that have influenced the planning for this visit (with more older photos of me).

Oh DO go on!! Wonderful so far!!!

 

[racefanof88]

Coming over to join in . It is great to have more May families

 

[MaryAz]

Jumping in as well. You have a great sense of humor and a really cute family-me too so I think we will get along great! I have a soon to be 6 year old and a 3 year old as well. Mine are both the girl variety. They are also as different as night and day! Our 3 year olds could do some serious damage together I think. So fun your Mom is going with you. We were also going to do a cruise (as a family) with my Mom last Nov. Her health took a turn for the worse and we ended up going to WDW for the first time last May. She passed away in July and we still miss her like crazy.
Check out the "MAYhem with the Mouse" link in my siggy for our group PTR. Looking forward to reading more!!

 

[Brave teacher]

Hello Alicia! I'm joining in as well. ANother May visitor here per Leanne's suggestion. Yall do look like so much fun. I could get in to some serious trouble with you girl!

I do love the story of how you and Mike came to the decision about this trip.

My DH Bryan and I are also celebrating our 10th anniversary a bit early. Ours is in June though.

I can't wait to hear the rest of your plans.

 

[ladybugmom]

Hi Alicia!! Yet another May family here!! I saw your post on Leanne's PTR and headed over! Your posts are cracking me up b/c I can relate in so many ways!! We live across the state from you in Memphis (my brother lived in Knoxville for awhile when he attended UT Law School). I am also addicted to coffee and love to read, sing, and plan Disney trips. I almost majored in music in college but decided to major in Education instead--I ended up teaching Kindergarten for 3 years before Ally was born. And I also have no idea what my husband does. He has degrees in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, and has his MBA. And he's the same way with math--I call him my personal calculator!! Oh--and we celebrated our 10 year anniversary last year by going to WDW WITH the kids!! SO I totally understand where you are coming from!! Your kiddos are adorable and I look forward to planning along with you!!

 

[Brave teacher]

Do any of us know what our husbands do? Bryan writes computer software. Yeah...I would just stare at the screen. Because of his juob, he is really good with math too. He can do things in his head so much faster than I can.

 

[cinderella crazy]

Coming over to join in . It is great to have more May families

I can't believe how many people are going in May. After reading Leanne's PTR I'm trying to imagine everyone getting together in Disney. I think someone needs to take a video camera!

Jumping in as well. You have a great sense of humor and a really cute family-me too so I think we will get along great! I have a soon to be 6 year old and a 3 year old as well. Mine are both the girl variety. They are also as different as night and day! Our 3 year olds could do some serious damage together I think. So fun your Mom is going with you. We were also going to do a cruise (as a family) with my Mom last Nov. Her health took a turn for the worse and we ended up going to WDW for the first time last May. She passed away in July and we still miss her like crazy.
Check out the "MAYhem with the Mouse" link in my siggy for our group PTR. Looking forward to reading more!!

Thanks! I catch Lauren doing crazy stuff all the time. We just sit back and laugh. She goes around singing like she's Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty. Kind of like she's living life in a princess movie.

I'm so sorry to here about your mom.

I'll be sure to check out your PTR!

Hello Alicia! I'm joining in as well. ANother May visitor here per Leanne's suggestion. Yall do look like so much fun. I could get in to some serious trouble with you girl!

I do love the story of how you and Mike came to the decision about this trip.

My DH Bryan and I are also celebrating our 10th anniversary a bit early. Ours is in June though.

I can't wait to hear the rest of your plans.

Trouble? Me? No one has ever told me I cause trouble. As a matter of fact, I think a good friend of mine told me that I was causing trouble night during choir rehearsal (but what does she know).

When I first started telling family and friends about our plans to switch from the cruise to a Disney trip, I expected people to be like "ARE YOU SERIOUS? WHY WOULD YOU WANT YOUR CHILDREN AND MOM TO GO WITH YOU ON YOUR ANNIVERSARY TRIP?" No one has said that though. I think some people thought we were more crazy for leaving them for 9 nights (I mean really, can you imagine what my two innocent little angels would do to my Mom's house in 9 days).

Hi Alicia!! Yet another May family here!! I saw your post on Leanne's PTR and headed over! Your posts are cracking me up b/c I can relate in so many ways!! We live across the state from you in Memphis (my brother lived in Knoxville for awhile when he attended UT Law School). I am also addicted to coffee and love to read, sing, and plan Disney trips. I almost majored in music in college but decided to major in Education instead--I ended up teaching Kindergarten for 3 years before Ally was born. And I also have no idea what my husband does. He has degrees in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, and has his MBA. And he's the same way with math--I call him my personal calculator!! Oh--and we celebrated our 10 year anniversary last year by going to WDW WITH the kids!! SO I totally understand where you are coming from!! Your kiddos are adorable and I look forward to planning along with you!!

Yay! A fellow Tennessean! I like Memphis, until they play UT. But any other time, I root for Memphis.

Your personal calculator! I guess Mike would be my personal calculator and dictionary. I'm constantly asking him how to spell things. I'm serious y'all. I sometimes have a brain fart and have to ask what 6x8=. I think it's 48???? See, that's why I'm a musician and not a mathematic person (although I was an accounting major for 2 years in college).

Thanks! I think they're cute too. I mean they do kind of resemble me. Unfortuanately, my children know they're adorable and they put on their cute faces when they know they're about to get in trouble (although, it usually doesn't work).





everyone! I'll try to post more today.

 

[cinderella crazy]

Do any of us know what our husbands do? Bryan writes computer software. Yeah...I would just stare at the screen. Because of his juob, he is really good with math too. He can do things in his head so much faster than I can.

Here's what I know about what Mike does. He works for a company that makes computer component parts that are placed mostly in Toyotas but also some other cars. The components control anything from cruise control, air conditioning, power steering, that silly light that now comes on in newer cars if your tire pressure goes down, on and on and on and on.

But do I really have any idea what he does...nope. I just sit and listen and try to ask questions that sound like I have some intelligence. I suppose it's kind of like me trying to explain to him that what really makes a certain song wonderful is how the composer made a key change in just the right spot. He just smiles and agrees.

 

[Spaceship Tigger]

Here's what I know about what Mike does. He works for a company that makes computer component parts that are placed mostly in Toyotas but also some other cars. The components control anything from cruise control, air conditioning, power steering, that silly light that now comes on in newer cars if your tire pressure goes down, on and on and on and on.

Luckily we don't make anything associated with the braking system on Toyotas.

I guess you could say I'm following along with this trip report as well since I'm in it!

Oh yeah, and I was also supposed to make a correction: we took a 4-day Bahamas cruise in 2008, not a 3-day one. Guess you lost some time there somewhere, honey!