IlliniMouse
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2007
- Messages
- 449
This is my first pre-trip post, and our first family vacation to WDW
The cast
Me: Kelly, the Mom. I've been to WDW once, for ONE day, on a return trip from elsewhere in Florida with DH, who at the time was just DB. We blazed through the MK, and MGM, and left late afternoon. This hardly qualifies. My trip was equivalent to reading the billboards driving through Orlando.
DH: Kevin. The one who has has been there numerous times as a kid, so thinks nothing has changed, and going to Disney isn't a big deal. (To which I say, "HA!") He's leaving everything up to me. (And that's a good thing, too!)
DS9: I'll just call him Stitch. Stitch is all boy. A little rough around the edges, and has the ability to be just_like_Stitch. He loves robots, 4 wheelers, monster trucks, Legos, computer games, etc. Likes nothing "girly", and if by some act of God we win the night in Cinderella's castle, he'll probably say "Can we stay overnight in the Lego store instead?" 
or possibly try to get out of it. This is his first trip to Disney.
Now, collectively, this is our first "real" family vacation. Real to me means we take a week off work. I haven't taken a week off work for 5.5 years. The last time DH and I took a "real" vacation was when I was 7.5 months pregnant with Stitch. We've taken a few long weekends here and there, but nothing even remotely close to going to DISNEY!!!!!!!!!
Supporting cast
: Beth, friend and co-worker. We've known one another since 1989.
Tim: Beth's DH
B&T's DS10: I'll call him Woody. Woody is all about sports, and loves hockey. (He absolutely adored Woody when he was little.)
They've vacationed way more than we have, but Beth admits they're go with the flow kind of people. They know what's there to do, but don't set a schedule.
The long prelude
WDW is somewhere I've always wanted to take Stitch to. But, there's a problem. DH said his Mom wanted to take him there. (She lives in Florida.) Thinking I'm not going to enjoy a vacation like that, I put all WDW ideas on the back burner thinking we'll get to Disney one way or another.
And then some Pixie Dust was sprinkled over the breakroom one day... I'm in the breakroom one day, and Beth tells me they're going to Disney. I turn all shades of green because *I* want to go! (Well, ok, I want Stitch and DH to go, too.) Beth tells me we should go when they do, and then Stitch and Woody can hang out since they're both an only child. Sounds like a plan to me!
Ok, it all sounds good until the voices inside my head start talking.
First the voices need to argue over whether or not it's a good thing to take a vacation. (You see, we have a 1920's farmhouse we're renovating. Not like we're on a time line...but I expect to have it done in my lifetime.) Once *they've* decided it's ok that we go, then *they* need to decide if it's a good thing to pull Stitch out of school for a few days. Ok, I have *their* permission, I can finally book a trip!
Go to the WDW site, and start to book a trip. Oh geez! So many options! Which hotel? What dates? DDP or not? Park hop? Water parks and more, ME? Pop, Nov. 16-22, and yes, yes, yes, yes! Whew! Thank goodness all that's been decided!
Now I can sit back and count my days til I leave. Right?
Ummm, no. WRONG! Because I like to know things before I go anywhere. And once I started looking at a few things on the web, I discovered my planning wasn't over! It was just beginning! Ok, fill up the printer with paper, check the ink tanks, and then watch my diningroom turn into stacks of paper, with me sitting in the middle of it with my highlighter pen, potential itinerary, and bottle of White Out. Somewhere in the midst of all of this I discovered the DIS board, and that there are BOOKS out there devoted to Disney! OMG! Run to the bookstore, and library and thoroughly read them. Wait! I need ADRs!?!? EEKS! I don't even have my days planned yet. So, I plan my days, call Disney Dining and find out I can't get certain restaurants on certain days! Ok.., so I'm a little late to bloom, and we're at somewhere around the 150 day mark. Who would have thought? I make the reservations that I can, and head back into the diningroom with my bottle of White Out and rearrange my days at WDW.
A few days later while talking to Beth, I asked her if they had started any of their planning yet. She said she had talked to one of her friends who is a Disney freak, goes there all the time, and that was about it. Huh? I asked if she had any ADR's made yet. They hadn't! She told me I can be the official activities director and whatever I decide is fine with them. Wow! Such a trusting soul, and such PRESSURE! And now I need to call Disney Dining..
"Hello? Disney Dining? It's me again."
I need to buy a case of White Out.
The cast
Me: Kelly, the Mom. I've been to WDW once, for ONE day, on a return trip from elsewhere in Florida with DH, who at the time was just DB. We blazed through the MK, and MGM, and left late afternoon. This hardly qualifies. My trip was equivalent to reading the billboards driving through Orlando. DH: Kevin. The one who has has been there numerous times as a kid, so thinks nothing has changed, and going to Disney isn't a big deal. (To which I say, "HA!") He's leaving everything up to me. (And that's a good thing, too!) DS9: I'll just call him Stitch. Stitch is all boy. A little rough around the edges, and has the ability to be just_like_Stitch. He loves robots, 4 wheelers, monster trucks, Legos, computer games, etc. Likes nothing "girly", and if by some act of God we win the night in Cinderella's castle, he'll probably say "Can we stay overnight in the Lego store instead?" or possibly try to get out of it. This is his first trip to Disney.Now, collectively, this is our first "real" family vacation. Real to me means we take a week off work. I haven't taken a week off work for 5.5 years. The last time DH and I took a "real" vacation was when I was 7.5 months pregnant with Stitch. We've taken a few long weekends here and there, but nothing even remotely close to going to DISNEY!!!!!!!!!
Supporting cast
: Beth, friend and co-worker. We've known one another since 1989. Tim: Beth's DH B&T's DS10: I'll call him Woody. Woody is all about sports, and loves hockey. (He absolutely adored Woody when he was little.)They've vacationed way more than we have, but Beth admits they're go with the flow kind of people. They know what's there to do, but don't set a schedule.
The long prelude
WDW is somewhere I've always wanted to take Stitch to. But, there's a problem. DH said his Mom wanted to take him there. (She lives in Florida.) Thinking I'm not going to enjoy a vacation like that, I put all WDW ideas on the back burner thinking we'll get to Disney one way or another.
And then some Pixie Dust was sprinkled over the breakroom one day... I'm in the breakroom one day, and Beth tells me they're going to Disney. I turn all shades of green because *I* want to go! (Well, ok, I want Stitch and DH to go, too.) Beth tells me we should go when they do, and then Stitch and Woody can hang out since they're both an only child. Sounds like a plan to me!
Ok, it all sounds good until the voices inside my head start talking.
First the voices need to argue over whether or not it's a good thing to take a vacation. (You see, we have a 1920's farmhouse we're renovating. Not like we're on a time line...but I expect to have it done in my lifetime.) Once *they've* decided it's ok that we go, then *they* need to decide if it's a good thing to pull Stitch out of school for a few days. Ok, I have *their* permission, I can finally book a trip! Go to the WDW site, and start to book a trip. Oh geez! So many options! Which hotel? What dates? DDP or not? Park hop? Water parks and more, ME? Pop, Nov. 16-22, and yes, yes, yes, yes! Whew! Thank goodness all that's been decided!
Now I can sit back and count my days til I leave. Right?
Ummm, no. WRONG! Because I like to know things before I go anywhere. And once I started looking at a few things on the web, I discovered my planning wasn't over! It was just beginning! Ok, fill up the printer with paper, check the ink tanks, and then watch my diningroom turn into stacks of paper, with me sitting in the middle of it with my highlighter pen, potential itinerary, and bottle of White Out. Somewhere in the midst of all of this I discovered the DIS board, and that there are BOOKS out there devoted to Disney! OMG! Run to the bookstore, and library and thoroughly read them. Wait! I need ADRs!?!? EEKS! I don't even have my days planned yet. So, I plan my days, call Disney Dining and find out I can't get certain restaurants on certain days! Ok.., so I'm a little late to bloom, and we're at somewhere around the 150 day mark. Who would have thought? I make the reservations that I can, and head back into the diningroom with my bottle of White Out and rearrange my days at WDW.
A few days later while talking to Beth, I asked her if they had started any of their planning yet. She said she had talked to one of her friends who is a Disney freak, goes there all the time, and that was about it. Huh? I asked if she had any ADR's made yet. They hadn't! She told me I can be the official activities director and whatever I decide is fine with them. Wow! Such a trusting soul, and such PRESSURE! And now I need to call Disney Dining..
"Hello? Disney Dining? It's me again."
I need to buy a case of White Out.
I've driven through Champaign a few times....mainly to go to the vet at U of I. I about fell over when I discovered the carousel at the mall!!!!
I think he'll forgive me once we go to Whispering Canyon. I think he'll find it alot of fun there. 
), so I decided dinner and a show would be the way to go. 
