It started out so organized...then...A Nov. 2017 PTR

[JennyWren]

I'm soooo excited to be able to welcome you to my (Pre)Trip Report!!!
I'm hoping to be able to channel my excitement through this, so I don't drive everyone crazy with incessant Disney talk.

Anyway, I'm Jenny....

[GALLERY=] [/GALLERY]

Coming along with me on this magical journey are my DD, the beautiful but erratic Anna...

and my DS, Steven, who may or may not be an 80 year old man in disguise...



The three of us have been to WDW many, many times--though due to a rather tumultuous last few years this trip is highly overdue. This will be our first trip to the World since (among other things) Steven has developed epilepsy (he is non-verbal autistic).

Also along for the ride is my SO, Michael...



He has only been to WDW *gasp* once in the early 80s... He is fairly certain that he doesn't like it, but he is willing to take one for the team. (I'm secretly hoping he becomes a Disney convert by the end of this trip.)

Now that we have the who out of the way, we will discuss the when and where in the next post...but for now I need to call it a night.

 

[JennyWren]

Where was I? Oh, yes, the when and where...

After a LOT of debating, number crunching and listening to all the reasons that Anna needs extra space....I booked an All-Star Music Family Suite. I would have preferred and voted for POFQ, but two rooms there was too much for the budget this go round. Furthermore, since Disney will not guarantee connecting rooms, this is probably the best solution all around.

We decided that November 4-10 would work out the best for everyone. We will still be able to do F & W, the crowds should be reasonable and the weather should be mild. Steven's seizures increase with the temperature, however both Steven and Michael think they are freezing when it falls below 70....

So in conclusion.....

Who: Jenny, Michael, Anna and Steven
When: November 4-10, 2017
Where: ASMu Family Suite

So now....just 391 more days to go...

 

[ariane37]

Joining! November is a great time to go IMO. We haven't gone early Nov. since 2007 but went late in the month in 2012, for Thanksgiving last year and are doing it again this year I look forward to following along as you plan!

 

[JennyWren]

Joining! November is a great time to go IMO. We haven't gone early Nov. since 2007 but went late in the month in 2012, for Thanksgiving last year and are doing it again this year I look forward to following along as you plan!

Welcome!!! Thanks for following along, IMO planning is half the fun.

 

[JennyWren]

As of today, we have another 375 days to go...I haven't told Steven yet, I plan on surprising him at Christmas. Anna and I are already talking ADRs and Michael is pretty sure we are both crazy. The following conversation happened this past Sunday....

Me: I think we should do Sci Fi, we've never ate there.

Anna: Eh, I can eat all that stuff at home, I want to eat stuff I can't....

Michael: I think it looks kinda cool...um, how much weight do you gain on vacation?

Me: What???

Michael: Well it sounds like all you do is eat..

Anna: Disney calories don't count.

Me: There is enough walking to balance it out, and we do other things...

Michael: I don't know....

Anna: I am not eating at the Sci Fi, you can go and I will fend for myself.

So, I have Sci Fi on the maybe list. Michael seems a bit taken back by all the ADRs, FPs, etc...so I am on the fence about planning too much in advance, maybe we should just try going with the flow...or maybe not.

[GALLERY=] [/GALLERY]
My favorite pic of Anna and Steven from our last WDW trip in 2013. They have gotten so big since then.

 

[ariane37]

It always scares non-planners and those not familiar with Disney when they start hearing all the details and discussion that goes into a trip lol! Especially if they think they won't like it I judge the mood of DH and my boys before I Start asking questions and lots of times I just go ahead and plan by myself. I know it's more fun with input from the family, put they're usually happy with whatever I decide and it saves me the aggravation of getting frustrated with them for not showing interest when I want them to! Eventually they come around and ask a few questions. Maybe once your trip gets closer and feels more "real", Michael will get used to and be comfortable with all the advance planning

 

[JennyWren]

. Maybe once your trip gets closer and feels more "real", Michael will get used to and be comfortable with all the advance planning

I hope so, for now I'm trying to contain my enthusiasm when we are together.

 

[JennyWren]

Introductions....yes I went over the cast of characters in the initial post, however I feel that a more in depth introduction is in order....

Obviously, I should start with myself...I'm Jenny and I'm a Disney addict.



This is a photo of my Mum and I on my last WDW trip in 2014. It was just the two of us and we had a blast!

I have been to Disney probably upwards of 20 times, and I simply can't get enough. My favorite park is the Magic Kingdom, though it was MGM before they decided to take away all the great classic Hollywood and film making aspects... I can't say that I have a favorite ride, but I have favorite things...walking down Main St., Dole Whips, any of the classic attractions,
F&W, really just the whole Disney bubble.

In real life, I am an antique and vintage dealer which is not as exciting, glamorous or profitable as one would think....mostly I dig around in places like this...



and pray someone likes the stuff enough to buy it. The hours though are great because I can make my own schedule, take the kids or parents to work and work from home most days. This is especially important since I'm a single mom of Steven who has non-verbal autism, epilepsy, Tourette's and anxiety in addition to aging parents (Mom has early onset Alzheimer's and Dad has physical issues) and Anna and company. I consistently have at least 1, if not 10, non-biological children in the house...



Anyway, enough about me. In the next post, I will introduce my SO.

 

[JennyWren]

Next up for introductions is my SO Michael...



Michael and I have been together for two years, and are currently working towards living in the same place. He currently has a place and works in Buffalo, whereas the children and I are near Pittsburgh. We still manage to be together 3-4 days a week. If everything goes according to schedule, he will be relocating herein the spring.



As stated in the previous posts, Michael is not exactly enthusiastic about this trip. He went once to the MK for a day back in the early 80s and wasn't impressed. He therefore has no favorites as yet, and he has limited knowledge of Disney films since his only child is a furry one....



This is Michael's fur baby, Olivia Nicole.

So, if anyone has any suggestions for traveling with a non-believer, please feel free to chime in.

Next up is my DD, Anna....

 

[JennyWren]

And then, there is Anna...



Anna is a handful....she's bright, funny, erratic and lacks focus...she is the world's best sister to Steven and is just a great kid. She is a senior this year and thinks she wants to be a tattoo artist, she is very talented artist...



This will be Anna's 7th trip to the World. Her favorite rides are EE, Space Mountain and RnRC, but she is a major foodie and primarily spends our WDW trips eating. Mulan and Tangled are her favorite movies and she will be my trip planning partner, since Michael is oblivious and Steven would have us on a continuous loop of his favorite rides...

 

[chocolateavocado]

Following along! We're going for Thanksgiving 2017

 

[JennyWren]

Following along! We're going for Thanksgiving 2017

Welcome!!! Thanks for following along

 

[JennyWren]

And last, but not least is this handsome fellow....



Steven!!! Steven is indescribable, he is smart, funny, and just one of the happiest kids you will ever meet. This will be his 6th trip to the World, but his first since the onset of epilepsy. Steven is also a mostly non-verbal autistic and depending on which 'expert' you ask he may have anxiety and Tourette's...

Steven LOVES all things Disney. His favorite movies are Lilo & Stitch, Emporer's New Groove, The Jungle Book and The Three Cabarellos. As for his favorite rides in keeping with his 'theme,' the Jungle Cruise is by far his ultimate, followed by the Gran Fiesta Tour, Soarin' and Journey Into Imagination.

 

[ariane37]

Enjoyed all your individual family intros! Beautiful family

 

[fallonkendra]

Following along!

 

[JennyWren]

Enjoyed all your individual family intros! Beautiful family

Thank you, I think they are pretty wonderful.

Following along!

Welcome!!! Thank you so much for following along

 

[JennyWren]

The kids are at their Dad's for the next couple days, which is good and bad. Bad because Steven has recently only been having seizures over there... Good because, I get a lot of stuff accomplished when I'm home alone.

This morning while trying to find the motivation to do something besides drink coffee and enjoy the silence, I started making a list of things to work on with Steven in preparation for the trip. Yes, I know I have 367 days, but everything takes time in Steven's world...

1) Prepare Steven for changes that WDW has made without his authorization....I have already introduced him to the new Soarin via YouTube videos and I must say he is taking it quite well. I have yet to inform him that Maelstrom is no longer, he loved this ride and the little documentary that followed. He has a true dislike for Frozen, so I am unsure how this is going to go over....


2) Due to the fact that as a growing teenage boy he eats MASSIVE quantities of food, it would make sense if we booked at least a few buffets. That being said, Steven has an overwhelming dislike for buffets, not sure exactly why because he can't or won't communicate his reasons for disliking things just that he does. So, I am implementing a long term goal of eating at buffets...I'm guessing we have a 50/50 shot at this actually working.

3) Try to prepare him for the changes to the DAS, this is his first trip since 2013 and they were still on the old system at that time. He typically does well with lines and we only need it for exceptionally long lines (read more than 30 minutes). I think he should adapt easily enough, it's very similar to what they have in place at Busch Gardens and he did well with that, but the big difference is the...

4) MAGIC BANDS...I am entirely unsure how these will go over...

Anyway, thank you for reading through my ramblings. I have actual work to do, Disney vacation unfortunately don't pay for themselves.

 

[JennyWren]

I AM SO SORRY TO HAVE ABANDONED MY PTR FOR SO LONG!!!

Things have been very chaotic here since I last posted in November....
My grandmother passed away shortly before Thanksgiving. It was especially hard on Steven and in turn it took a major toll on all of us.



So then you throw in the holidays and all that entails and I had no time for any trip planning.

Then we had increased seizure activity, school projects, teenage angst, two birthdays, merchandise inventory, and a round of nasty viruses and next thing you know it's the end of February....

I can honestly say I have made little to no headway in my planning since I last posted.....bad, Jenny, very bad!!! However, I did want to check in and I promise I will get back to planning with a vengeance.

PLUS.....

I turn the big 4-0 next month and Mike is taking me to Ireland for a week. Just the two of us!!! I am beyond excited!!! I think I will do a mini trip report and include it on this thread just for the practice.

 

[JennyWren]

Okay, as promised, I am back in planning mode.

Right now, the big thing is for us to determine our food budget...DDP or no DDP....more or less ADRs...My kids are big eaters and have very definite ideas about their food...My budget is limited...I WILL require alcohol...

So with all of that in mind, I am drawing up my preliminary plans...

Day One--Saturday

We will most likely fly Southwest out of PIT sometime in the morning and should be to our resort no later than noon.

Upon arrival, we can grab quick snacks and catch the bus to the Animal Kingdom (the thought process behind this is twofold, I feel it should be less crowded than Epcot and by far the best park for easing Michael into the Disney bubble). FP for the Safari, EE and ???. Dinner at Flame Tree...a lot is going to depend on the park hours, but I want to be back to the resort around 8-8:30p. After a long day of travel and excitement, Steven is going to need to rest.

 

[JennyWren]

OMG....I DIDN'T THINK I WOULD EVER GET BACK TO THIS.

Life just jumped up and bit me right in the A$#....honestly I should just start over with a whole new PTR, but that would be more work.

Since I was here last: ---Mike and I went to Ireland for a week to celebrate my 40th


---Anna broke up with her boyfriend of 3 yrs--no worries, she seems to be over it and has moved on....teenagers...

---Steven's seizures have increased and they implanted a VNS device to try to control them--so far I have seen zero improvement....


---Anna graduated high school

and started college classes last week at the local community college.

---Business has been increasingly slow...so I am majorly budgeting this trip.

---Mike was in the hospital for almost a week with stomach bleeding.

---We added a new member to our household in the form of an American Bobtail named Stubs.


Oh, and Mike has decided that we should get married....(No date set yet, I'm still wrapping my head around the idea.)

Anyway, that is why I have been away from my PTR so long, but I'm back and better than ever. I have a schedule, ADRs, FPs and all that jazz that I will be sharing with you in the next few posts.