Itchy Feet: Sept 2016 PTR

[cyneswith]

Every time I've been hit with an urge to travel, I've been working on these plans, thus the title.

It was November 2014. I was 2-3 months pregnant with our second child and sick as a dog. After I stumble back to the couch after throwing up AGAIN, I realize I need an online-oriented project for when I was waiting to hear feedback on my art commission (something DS wouldn't hurt himself on that didn't require moving.) DS came out of his room in a Mickey outfit, tunelessly singing the Hot Dog Dance. He jumps on my back, making me dry-heave. I weakly lift my head: "Do you want to watch something, buddy?" "Mickey!" I start an episode and he curls up peaceably. DISNEY. DH gets home. "I want to plan a trip to Disney World for when the baby is about 14 months."

"Ew. Taking two small kids to Disney? I'd rather *insert hyperbolic torture scenario here*. And I don't want to take a whole week off. They're too young to remember. And besides, there's the 5th birthday trip. (same-sex parent takes kid on solo trip - we didn't know the baby's sex yet.)"
"...What if my mom goes with us and you stay home?"
"But... but... Disney!"
"Whole week alone, nothing but school to worry about when you get home? Pizza, beer, video games, watching whatever you want on Netflix..."
"When are you going?"

So I message my mom.

"So... I have a proposal, with one condition - I pay for food, lodging, and entertainment. I want to go to Disney and DH doesn't think it be fun with little kids."
"Wh... what does he think would be fun with little kids? He does LIKE kids, right?"
"I know, it makes no sense. His idea of traveling is sitting in a hotel room watching TV until dinner time."
"Weirdo."
"Want to come with me and the kids?"
"When?"
"September 2016?"
"Done."

 

[cyneswith]

First thing I knew I wanted: No carseats through airports. Item 2: a monorail hotel. A preschooler and toddler means a double stroller, and I wanted to avoid buses. Check Monorail hotels... AIEEEE, nope... Oooo... renting DVC points. Yes... Yes. So I weigh Poly/BLT at first. Then I ask my mom "what's your favorite Disney movie?" "Mary Poppins." Hmm. VGF is pricier, but this is my MOM here. She is 2 decades overdue for some major karmic pampering. I was already thinking Supercali breakfast, and afternoon tea, and a trip to the spa for her. So I put in my request on the first possible day... Hear back the next day...

"You're a month early."

Oops.

So I wait another month, and finally, 11 months before the start of the projected trip, there it is. Confirmation for VGF. AWESOME.

~~~~~~~~~~~

February rolls around. I've got one more month until ADRs, so I want to do something trip related. I start looking up airfare, and HOLY MACKEREL, that's pricey. I'm used to paying $200-450 per ticket to go halfway across the country, and these were $600 per ticket. I look up train tickets, because DS is train obsessed (he's currently watching the Santa Fe 3751.) MUCH better... and the times... horrible. And we'd need cabs from the station. So for the first time I look up the driving time. 7 hours. That's... roughly the amount of time it'd take to fly, when you count getting to the airport early, driving there, etc. We are driving. Kids' first drive over 3 hours.

 

[Corrine 1973]

Ok, I have to say it. I think I am in love with your mom. I think you guys are going to have a blast. Can't wait to read more.

 

[cyneswith]

Our fearless crew:

Me: SAHM of 2. My only trip to WDW as a kid was miserable (though I wanted to be a Disney animator/character designer at the time.) But I'm not big into rollercoasters and wasn't into beaches until 2012. So when I was stationed in Georgia, I decided to go to WDW. And I loved it. DH and I went around the time we started talking marriage, and I loved it even more. So when DS got Mickey obsessed at 18 months, after my initial bafflement, I was excited at the prospect of a fellow Disney lover in the family. I love Peter Pan (not just Disney, but almost every iteration.) The new Disney Fairies franchise is my favorite. If it has a (protagonist) cat or pirate, I loved it. Not a huge princess fan - Mulan and Tiana are my favorites.

Mom: Programmer/Techie at a university, she is also taking care of her parents and helping out with her monster-in-law, sewing all the things for other people, making stained glass, gardening, maintaining 10 of her 30 acres of land (the others are woodland, and my dad's playground), just got certified as a master naturalist, does all sorts of volunteer stuff, watches my nephews regularly, and comes to visit me every 3 months, and to give you an idea of how THAT goes, DH refers to my parents' visits as negative work (due to extra help with cleaning, house repairs, and child care). She doesn't slow down, she's helpful to the extreme, she never gets pampered, and she's my best friend. Her favorite Disney movies are Mary Poppins, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and Snow White.

DS: 3, obsessed with caterpillars/butterflies, all manner of creepy crawlies, colors, Captain Hook, Eric Carle books, trains, cars, and Dinotrux. Sweet, affectionate, active, never naps and sleeps poorly, reasonably good listener. My wiggle worm, giggle box, and tickle bug.

DD: 8 months old, obsessed with furry animals, eating paper and playing with things I've told her not to. Sleeps reasonably well, very contented baby for the most part unless I'm out of sight. Unlike DS, her laugh takes some effort to coax out of her, but she has a huge smile on most of the time. Sang before she was able to talk, and dancing was one of the first things she could do. Upbeat music usually snaps her out of a bad mood, but slow music makes her cry.

 

[cyneswith]

Ok, I have to say it. I think I am in love with your mom. I think you guys are going to have a blast. Can't wait to read more.

My mom is pretty awesome. Not a huge Disney person, but the reason I'm into Disney.

We didn't have many extra funds growing up, so getting a video was a big deal, and usually discussed thoroughly (didn't see a movie in theaters until I was 9, and then only because my foster sister liked seeing movies in theater.) Twice, though, when I got home from school and as a total surprise, she had graham crackers with cream cheese frosting waiting for me on the coffee table (BIG DEAL) along with a Disney movie (Beauty and the Beast and 101 Dalmatians). Opening those creaky plastic cases in the afternoon light, snuggling down into the couch with only my mom around to watch a brand new movie, with no one hanging around saying lines before the characters could... It was awesome. (I re-enacted scenes from 101 Dalmatians SO many times - I THINK I was playing that when we found our first cat. And Belle was my favorite princess until adulthood.)

(My brother recited Star Wars line by line, so I refused to watch it until I was 10.)

 

[nimbuscat]

Oh, I am excited for this PTR! You sound so much like me! My mom is going with my girls and I on this trip (DH doesn't think it sounds fun, either!), and we are renting DVC points for Poly villas. Can't wait to read more!

 

[cyneswith]

2 months out! We've got 5 ADRs - Breakfast at BOG on Monday, dinner at Mama Melrose's on Tuesday, Supercalifragilistic Breakfast and Afternoon Tea on Wednesday (and a spa appointment for my mom in between - she is unaware of Wednesday plans), and Biergarten for dinner on Thursday. Trying to figure out Fastpasses now - advice is welcome, as I've never done fast passes before.

 

[cyneswith]

Fastpasses sorted - basically have 2 each morning and one each evening at MK, only one at EPCOT, didn't bother with any at AK/HS (I may be planning obsessed, but "semper gumby" - always flexible - was my catchphrase for a few years there.)

This weekend I'm making beef jerky (5 lbs of beef!) for the trip, and now too, because you can't smell beef jerky for 2-3 days straight and not eat any. My made-way-too-far-in-advance snack packs proved useful on a weekend zoo trip, so some of those will have to be replaced.

I'll have to take my van in to the shop next week. I meant to do it 3 weeks from now, so it'd be closer to the trip, but a tire that I had repaired 2 months ago is losing pressure again.