WE ARE GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!!!
I guess I should put some background to this statement. I'm an RN in Idaho, married to a stay at home mom that is a Disney fanatic (no one, and I mean no one will play disney trivial pursuit with her), and father to a wonderful 7 yr old boy. My wife and I made it to WDW for a belated honeymoon the week following the millennium celebration in 2000 thanks to an entry that my younger sister had put my name on at Subway because she wasn't 18 at the time. Unfortunately due to the short length of the trip (4 days) we only got one day at WDW in the Magic Kingdom. But it was one of the greatest days of our lives! Since then I have made it back once. Much to my wifes frustration I got selected to go to a pediatrics conference last year in Orlando about 1/2 a mile from DT Disney! Her mandate, so she wouldn't whine too much about me not taking her, was that I had to take her and our son to either DL or WDW within 2 years. Since I had to reserve the hotel rooms on my own card and use it for expenses and then the airline would put the mileage on my card we had enough points to cover a ticket to Orlando! Long story short (I know, too late), We are now less than 30 days out!
The tickets are bought for the flight. The rental car is reserved. The condo is booked. And we have 5 day passes for WDW! Did I mention We're a little stoked? Well most of us are anyway. The kicker is we haven't told our son yet. We have been planning this for almost all year and quivering with anticipation, and we just want to tell him on a certain level. But at the same time I can't wait to tell him once we are en-route. We're thinking that we will use the question of "where we going?" to get some positive out of him first. Specifically we have asked his teacher this year if we can get his schoolwork for the week he will be gone and tell him that once it's done we will tell him where we are going. I figure with the right incentive this could provide he should be done with the work somewhere just past Denver. If anyone has any thoughts or suggestions on this idea please feel free to let me know.
As for the actual plans. We will be flying out first thing in the morning, actually going the opposite direction (airline mentality I still haven't figured out) and land in Orlando in the early evening 10/3. From here we have one of the few drawbacks of our trip. We aren't staying in Disney World
. However this is because we have a timeshare membership with a condo about 3 miles from WDW! This makes lodging very affordable 
. This should also allow us to reduce food cost some by doing breakfasts in and the occasional dinner. Anyway, after we're settled in it's an early bed time because we have big plans the next day!
Day 1: We are headed for Animal Kingdom! I have no idea what to expect here since I've never been to this particular park. And if I've learned anything from trying to anticipate the scope and wonder of WDW on the prior trips it's that I'm never fully ready for the scope and awesomeness of it all! Our son is a dinosaur buff (he knew more than the docents at the museum during the T-rex named Sue exhibit). So I fully expect to spend serious time around the Dino stuff. After they close that park we hope to get dinner at DTD, specifically at the T-Rex cafe. When my son heard they had one when I was there last year and that I didn't go he was not pleased.
Day 2: It's off to the Magic Kingdom! My wife and I have been here before, but I think this time it will be totally different seeing the awe of a child in this area. We don't have any really specific plans at this time. Depending on how the bug holds up we may go straight through or take a few hours back at the condo to rest and recharge mid day. We'll have to see.
Day 3: We aren't actually going to WDW this day
. Instead we are headed to Sea World to see the Orcas and the fishies. My son by the way is also a fishing fanatic. In fact fish was the 3rd word he spoke! Anyway, this is one of their Halloween Spooktacular days. I just hope it's not ridiculous crazy there.
Day 4: Off to Hollywood Studios! Now this one I'm stoked for! Can't wait to do Star Tours! Star Wars is my equivalent to my wifes Disney focus. We also got lunch reservations at Mama Melrose so we can get VIP seating at Fantasmic that night! So looking forward to that.
Day 5: Epcot
. What more is there to say? It's awasome! It's the flagship of the park next to Cinderellas castle. I only got about half a day there last year so I'm stoked to spend a little more time picking it apart. However we do have to leave mid afternoon (still kinda half a day) so we can make it to DTD for a late lunch before the Cirque Du Soleil that evening! Doubt we'll make it back to Epcot in time for Illuminations, but who knows.
Day 6: Again we aren't at WDW. Instead we are headed for the coast. Specifically Kennedy Space Center (hey, we have to put some education in here somewhere
). We're hoping that they will again schedule a launch they had on this day here again. If not we may trade this day with either day 2 or day 8. I am stoked to see the area though since my grandfather worked on most the apollo and gemini rockets back in the day.
Day 7: This is our mostly easy day. Just hang out, recharge. If we're desperate or something may even go to Gaterland DTD again. We'll see. Either way we'll sleep in because that evening it's off to the MK for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party! I made it to this last year and it was phenomenal! I can't wait to share this one with the rest of the family! Short ride lines, candy, amazing special fireworks and parades! How isn't that a great thing?
Day 8: This is our final day
. But we have one day left on our WDW passes! So we aren't sure which park we will go to. The plan is we will review the week and select the one that we liked the best. The other option is if they will let us maybe we can upgrade the last day to a park hopper and hit them all one last time! I'm not sure if that can even be done? Does anyone in here know? Either way I'm planning to hang around until we shut the park(s) down!
After that we have to be up early to catch our flight back out west. Once home we will wow people with stories of magic and wonder! At least that's the plan. Now, only 29 days left to go!
I guess I should put some background to this statement. I'm an RN in Idaho, married to a stay at home mom that is a Disney fanatic (no one, and I mean no one will play disney trivial pursuit with her), and father to a wonderful 7 yr old boy. My wife and I made it to WDW for a belated honeymoon the week following the millennium celebration in 2000 thanks to an entry that my younger sister had put my name on at Subway because she wasn't 18 at the time. Unfortunately due to the short length of the trip (4 days) we only got one day at WDW in the Magic Kingdom. But it was one of the greatest days of our lives! Since then I have made it back once. Much to my wifes frustration I got selected to go to a pediatrics conference last year in Orlando about 1/2 a mile from DT Disney! Her mandate, so she wouldn't whine too much about me not taking her, was that I had to take her and our son to either DL or WDW within 2 years. Since I had to reserve the hotel rooms on my own card and use it for expenses and then the airline would put the mileage on my card we had enough points to cover a ticket to Orlando! Long story short (I know, too late), We are now less than 30 days out!
The tickets are bought for the flight. The rental car is reserved. The condo is booked. And we have 5 day passes for WDW! Did I mention We're a little stoked? Well most of us are anyway. The kicker is we haven't told our son yet. We have been planning this for almost all year and quivering with anticipation, and we just want to tell him on a certain level. But at the same time I can't wait to tell him once we are en-route. We're thinking that we will use the question of "where we going?" to get some positive out of him first. Specifically we have asked his teacher this year if we can get his schoolwork for the week he will be gone and tell him that once it's done we will tell him where we are going. I figure with the right incentive this could provide he should be done with the work somewhere just past Denver. If anyone has any thoughts or suggestions on this idea please feel free to let me know.
As for the actual plans. We will be flying out first thing in the morning, actually going the opposite direction (airline mentality I still haven't figured out) and land in Orlando in the early evening 10/3. From here we have one of the few drawbacks of our trip. We aren't staying in Disney World
. However this is because we have a timeshare membership with a condo about 3 miles from WDW! This makes lodging very affordable . This should also allow us to reduce food cost some by doing breakfasts in and the occasional dinner. Anyway, after we're settled in it's an early bed time because we have big plans the next day!Day 1: We are headed for Animal Kingdom! I have no idea what to expect here since I've never been to this particular park. And if I've learned anything from trying to anticipate the scope and wonder of WDW on the prior trips it's that I'm never fully ready for the scope and awesomeness of it all! Our son is a dinosaur buff (he knew more than the docents at the museum during the T-rex named Sue exhibit). So I fully expect to spend serious time around the Dino stuff. After they close that park we hope to get dinner at DTD, specifically at the T-Rex cafe. When my son heard they had one when I was there last year and that I didn't go he was not pleased.
Day 2: It's off to the Magic Kingdom! My wife and I have been here before, but I think this time it will be totally different seeing the awe of a child in this area. We don't have any really specific plans at this time. Depending on how the bug holds up we may go straight through or take a few hours back at the condo to rest and recharge mid day. We'll have to see.
Day 3: We aren't actually going to WDW this day
. Instead we are headed to Sea World to see the Orcas and the fishies. My son by the way is also a fishing fanatic. In fact fish was the 3rd word he spoke! Anyway, this is one of their Halloween Spooktacular days. I just hope it's not ridiculous crazy there. Day 4: Off to Hollywood Studios! Now this one I'm stoked for! Can't wait to do Star Tours! Star Wars is my equivalent to my wifes Disney focus. We also got lunch reservations at Mama Melrose so we can get VIP seating at Fantasmic that night! So looking forward to that.
Day 5: Epcot
. What more is there to say? It's awasome! It's the flagship of the park next to Cinderellas castle. I only got about half a day there last year so I'm stoked to spend a little more time picking it apart. However we do have to leave mid afternoon (still kinda half a day) so we can make it to DTD for a late lunch before the Cirque Du Soleil that evening! Doubt we'll make it back to Epcot in time for Illuminations, but who knows. Day 6: Again we aren't at WDW. Instead we are headed for the coast. Specifically Kennedy Space Center (hey, we have to put some education in here somewhere
). We're hoping that they will again schedule a launch they had on this day here again. If not we may trade this day with either day 2 or day 8. I am stoked to see the area though since my grandfather worked on most the apollo and gemini rockets back in the day. Day 7: This is our mostly easy day. Just hang out, recharge. If we're desperate or something may even go to Gaterland DTD again. We'll see. Either way we'll sleep in because that evening it's off to the MK for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party! I made it to this last year and it was phenomenal! I can't wait to share this one with the rest of the family! Short ride lines, candy, amazing special fireworks and parades! How isn't that a great thing?
Day 8: This is our final day
. But we have one day left on our WDW passes! So we aren't sure which park we will go to. The plan is we will review the week and select the one that we liked the best. The other option is if they will let us maybe we can upgrade the last day to a park hopper and hit them all one last time! I'm not sure if that can even be done? Does anyone in here know? Either way I'm planning to hang around until we shut the park(s) down! After that we have to be up early to catch our flight back out west. Once home we will wow people with stories of magic and wonder! At least that's the plan. Now, only 29 days left to go!
