Insert Catchy Title Here - An August PTR

[Beka]

To say I'm excited about our upcoming trip would be the understatement of the year!

We're headed to Orlando for a week! August 14-21. My in-laws own timeshare, so we'll be staying at the Sheraton (I think?? Need to verify that!) in a 2br condo with them, my parents, so that equals 7 people! Yipe!

As you can see in my signature, I've not been to WDW in 13 years. 13 whole, long, Mickey-less years! What's even worse, is that we lived 90 minutes from Disneyland for two years, and never went. Doh!

Let's get started with who is going:

This is me! Beka, age 29 (and we're stopping right there!) I'll be 30 on my birthday, which will fall on this trip. I'm currently in nursing school, taking Med-surg & pharmacology, & already have a BA in Advertising from the University of KY. GO CATS! I'm a new mom to Conner (see below). More about my Disney trips later (I have pics even!)

(note this pic is from '03, but it's my favorite, so it's going in here!)
Kyle, my husband! He's 29 (30 sooner than me! ) He's managing a local movie theater, until I'm out of school & working, then he'll probably find something new to do. He's been with his company for 11 years now. Kyle is my biggest supporter. It's not easy being in nursing school with a baby, and making decent grades. It's all possible because of him! He'll watch Conner for hours with no complaints. I love him more than I'll ever be able to express. He's not the Disney fan that I am. I mean, he likes it just fine, but he'd rather be golfing, or watching a game. Maybe a trip to ESPN will be in store for him... He's also a UK graduate, and was even named after a UK basketball player, so his family are HUGE Cats fans!

Conner wanted to write his own bio:
i hmvghve5desz cgefxg bv il mkukiu fc v gtrcd5555vtff gf

Translation:
Hi! I'm Conner! I'll be 7months old tomorrow! I'm a big boy. I like dogs, walk on the beach, and my jumper.


I'm adding a Table of Contents. Since I skip over many TRs because they lack them, I'll stick to my own standards/preferences here:
You're reading post #1, so I'll skip the link...
Cast of Characters, continued
How I came to love Disney
The digs
I won me a prize, ya'll!
Customized maps have arrived
To Croc, or not to Croc, that is the question!
NC trip report within a PTR - 1st installment
More pics from day 1 in NC
NC trip continued
Conclusion of NC trip
Since the hot tub ate my camera...
1st Day's Tentative Plans
Small, fairly pointless update, but it's got a lot of pictures!
A Detour in the PTR: Charleston SC
Progress Being Made
Tentative Schedule.exl

 

[Beka]

The rest of the Cast:

(This is from '03? '04? I really need a new pic of her, & one where she's not been outside all day! Sorry Shirley!)
Shirley, my mother-in-law. She has raised 6 children! (DH is the youngest.) She is the reason this trip is happening. She loves to travel, help take care of her grandkids, and is always trying to learn something new. She is a retired school teacher, and has been such a huge help in our family. She stayed with us for 2 weeks after my gastric bypass, to help around the house, and also stayed a few weeks after Conner was born, until we felt like we had a handle on taking care of him. I couldn’t ask for a better MIL!

Neil, my father-in-law. He’s a retired train conductor. Or engineer. Whoever drives the thing. He likes Disney, but I think he’d be just as happy sitting on the couch with a good book, and a detective show on the TV. He’s pretty quiet, and the family has dubbed him “Grumpy”, so of course, he gets to wear his Grumpy shirt.

Edith, my mom. She’s the office manager for a doctor’s office, and hopes to retire soon. She has a Disney edition Brother sewing machine, and plans to make some outfits for Conner for his first trip to Disney. This thread: Disboutiquers has been a huge inspiration to us!

Ron, my dad. He loves WDW as much as I do, and I credit him my love for it. I remember being 4 and riding the Haunted Mansion with him. I loved every second of it. I felt safe with my Daddy, so it wasn’t scary to me at all. *sniff* Dad is retired from a power plant, doing electrical stuff that would probably require a degree now. He’s had numerous health issues, including leukemia, a hypertensive crisis that lead to triple bypass, kidney issues (due to the medications from his heart & leukemia), and most recently was hit by a tree. Good grief. He’s like a cat, he has 9 lives. I think he looks like Wilfred Brimley.

Here we all are at our wedding in 2002. I've lost 115lbs since then.

Our trips to WDW were by far the best vacations I had with my parents. We didn’t argue about what to do next, or complain about how hot it was, we just enjoyed each other. Those were the trips I never cared if a friend came along. I actually wanted my parents all to myself then!

Those being left behind:

Our pets, Booger & Matches
Matches has the red spots. Both are rescued basenji-mixes. They like to travel, but it’s kind of hard to fit two adults, a baby, and two dogs in a Honda, so they stay home more now that the baby is here.

Up next: When my love for Disney started...

 

[OneTreeHillAddict]

Howdy neighbor! I think our first day at WDW might be the 21st now. I changed things around a little. Oh well, we could have rented a van and split the gas. Just kidding. If your hubby ever has extra movie passes I'll take 'em!!!

Great start to your PTR!

 

[Beka]

Finally someone joins along! Holy cow, you are close! Where in the area are you? We're close to the backgate.

 

[OneTreeHillAddict]

Finally someone joins along! Holy cow, you are close! Where in the area are you? We're close to the backgate.

Then we're about 8 miles apart.

 

[Beka]

Then we're about 8 miles apart.

But the best part of it all is we're so close to WDW!

 

[OneTreeHillAddict]

But the best part of it all is we're so close to WDW!

It takes us about 8 hours if we don't stop a lot. 9 if we do. I take 378 to I 95....it saves a LOT of time bypassing Pawley's Island/Georgetown. Trust me, I have been every single way there is to go! Does your hubby work at the new theatre in Market Common? We've never even been in it. I went to Barnes and Noble out there the other day and they had all the dated journals/planners/calendars marked down to $1. Comes in handy for WDW!

 

[Beka]

Might as well get some background history here while I’m contemplating our 1st day. (Suggestions welcomed!)

The history of my love for Disney, in pictures…

My 1st trip was when I was 4 (1983). I remember wearing pig-tails, and waiting for my sister (now deceased) and my dad to finish riding BTMRR (which, I have still never been on!)

My Mom, Cpt. Hook, my sister, and myself:

Oops! I need to give you a little more background. I was *really* excited for that first trip. I would ride in the back seat of Mom’s red Thunderbird, and hold my stuffed Mickey in the window, just so people would think that I was riding in the car with Mickey. That same stuffed Mickey came with us on the ride down to FL, and I *knew* that Mickey knew that I was coming. Just to see him. (Apparently I thought he was Santa Claus as well??)

So there we are, leaving the monorail, headed up a ramp into the MK, and here he comes. And there he goes. Oh. My. Gosh. Mickey walked right by me. And he didn’t even know I was there! I was crushed. Devastated. Thankfully, there was a CM there who saw that I was upset, and upon knowing the reason why, lead me through the throngs of sweaty kids, and right up to the Mouse himself. *Sigh.* That is part of what makes Disney so special.

Here are some more pics from that trip:

(Why is my face planted in that wolf's uh... ?)

Yup, the castle still looks the same:

I went back when I was 8. We were in EPCOT on that trip, in France, waiting for the movie, I think, when someone tapped me on the shoulder. It was an older gentleman, bald, with white hair, and a white beard, wearing red. “Do you know who I am?” he asked. Uh, no (was I suppose to?). He showed me his drivers’ liscense.

Holy canoli! It was Santa Claus! In FL! He was on vacation too! Man, Disney really is full of magic!


So that's just a peek into why I love Disney. Our vacations there were always the best ones, so it really is a happy place. I hope it's the same for Conner.

Up next: where we'll be staying.
See you then! Please post messages!

 

[Goofy22]

HI! I'm here to join you PTR ! OMG it's been 13 yrs! You have alot to see! I can't wait for your trip report!

 

[DisneymoonJess07]

We are like you...our last trips were 10 and 11 years ago! We all have a lot to see. I love the pictures from your first trips! I hope I can post some of our from previous trips as well!

 

[autumnpalm]

Hi!

Awww I love all your old Disney pictures! That is so neat that you have them still. I don't have any of me at Disney as a kid and I really wish I did!

Your son is beautiful and you have such a lovely family.

It looks like you have a great start on your PTR. I keep promising myself not to start reading any more but you've sucked me in. I'm on board!

 

[Beka]

HI! I'm here to join you PTR ! OMG it's been 13 yrs! You have alot to see! I can't wait for your trip report!

LOL! I can't either, but then again, that means that the trip will be over! Welcome to the PTR!

We are like you...our last trips were 10 and 11 years ago! We all have a lot to see. I love the pictures from your first trips! I hope I can post some of our from previous trips as well!

Welcome to my PTR! I hope you can find those photos, I always love seeing old pics of the parks (And the clothing, oh my!)

Hi!

Awww I love all your old Disney pictures! That is so neat that you have them still. I don't have any of me at Disney as a kid and I really wish I did!

Your son is beautiful and you have such a lovely family.

It looks like you have a great start on your PTR. I keep promising myself not to start reading any more but you've sucked me in. I'm on board!

Thanks! Conner is such a good baby, and I'm really blessed with my family! Welcome to my PTR!

 

[DisneymoonJess07]

Welcome to my PTR! I hope you can find those photos, I always love seeing old pics of the parks (And the clothing, oh my!)

Especially the pictures from when I was about 11...

 

[Goofy22]

Those are great pictures brings back some memories I was about 11 yrs old then also!

 

[Philadisney]

Hi! I followed you over here from my PTR. Love it so far!

Conner wanted to write his own bio:
i hmvghve5desz cgefxg bv il mkukiu fc v gtrcd5555vtff gf

Translation:
Hi! I'm Conner! I'll be 7months old tomorrow! I'm a big boy. I like dogs, walk on the beach, and my jumper.

This is one of the cutest things I've ever seen on these boards! Conner is adorable and I love that you let him type his own bio. I love your old pictures from WDW when you were younger too - there is something so neat about seeing what the theme parks we are so farmiliar with now used to look like. My first trip was in the 80's too but I was only 6 so I don't remember it too well.

Also, this is great! :

I would ride in the back seat of Mom’s red Thunderbird, and hold my stuffed Mickey in the window, just so people would think that I was riding in the car with Mickey.

 

[DisneymoonJess07]

Hope your day is going well

 

[Beka]

Welcome Philadisney!

Hope your day is going well

Man, today was a good day, I had clinicals & saw gangrene on a patient. Hope yours was too!

 

[DisneymoonJess07]

Gotta love a day that includes gangrene!

I spent most of my day updating our website. It wasn't that out of date but there are a lot of things that had to be added to keep us prepared...

 

[autumnpalm]

Uh oh.

I got curious as to what gangrene was exactly and made the mistake of googling it.

Yikes.

 

[Beka]

Gotta love a day that includes gangrene!

I spent most of my day updating our website. It wasn't that out of date but there are a lot of things that had to be added to keep us prepared...

Yeah, it can be gross, but I love what I do!

Uh oh.

I got curious as to what gangrene was exactly and made the mistake of googling it.

Yikes.

Yeah, so eat right, exercise, & don't smoke! My patient did everything you could do to harden your vessels. I really hope he does better. He was such a nice patient & his family was really worried. I hope another student has him today so I can see how he's doing.

Ok back to Disney stuff...