livinthedisneydream
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2006
Yes, yes, I am finally starting the trip report. At least I have already enticed you with the photos. With 3 young kids at home, it has been crazy finding the time to start. I cannot promise to be the quickest, most detailed, organized tr but I will do my best to get you all the details and hopefully help some people along the way!
First, I should probably give you some background on how all this began. I have always loved Disney. I'm not sure when it really started but I do remember going to Disney World a couple of times when I was younger and to Disneyland a couple more times after my parents got divorced and my dad was living in California (I live in Ohio.) In 1982, I went for spring break with a friend's family and stayed in Ft Wilderness for a week. We had a blast. That's probably what sealed the deal for me.
Anyway, when Mike and I were planning our wedding, I REALLY wanted to have it at Disney. Mom and stepdad said, No, none of our friends will be able to travel. So, we had a few Disney touches at our wedding, including Mickey and Minnie cake topper and my sisters toast
"Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Lisa, who looked a lot like Snow White and dreamed of Cinderella and the life of a princess. Little did she know that she would have to kiss many toads before she would meet her Prince Charming. (Yes, I had some awful boyfriends) If Mike is her Knight in Shining Armour, Mickey's a mouse, Donald's a duck, and Pluto's a dog, then what the he#@ is Goofy? Anyway, as you begin your life together in the Magic Kingdom, maybe you could find out for me. M-I-C, see ya after the honeymoon, K-E-Y, why? because we all love you, Mr and Mrs Creedon"
So, we "settled" for our wonderful at home wedding and took a Grand honeymoon to DisneyWorld and Atlantis, in the Bahamas (to unwind a little!)
Mike was great considering that was his first ever visit to the "world". Not a bad start, honeymoon room at the Grand!
For Christmas that first year, I surprised Mike with one of the pavers in the Walk Around the World. We have the "lovely" location at the very edge of the walk by the TTC to the Polynesian.
Then we decided to start the family---Mike and I had been together for 6 years prior to this and there was no way I was waiting 6 more to start the family
Our first family trip was when our oldest son was 1. That was the beginning of the addiction we all know and love.
Including the honeymoon we have now been 15 times in 10 years---wow, that does sound a little like obsessive behavior! With those ap's and southwest's ding fares, we are in bad shape for this year too!
And no, our families have never understood our addiction. We took my dad and half brother over for a couple of nights when we went to see my Gma in Sarasota 8 years ago. We took Mike's parents when we only had one child and we took my parents after our 2nd one was born and again with my brother and sister in law for Christmas in 2004---that's the trip that made them believers. Nonetheless, every time a vacation is even brought up, I'm always embarrassed to say Disney. You know how it is. People just don't understand why we need to go back again and again. I have friends with kids who say they're bored and it's too babyish. Thank goodness, my kids have fantastic imaginations and love everything about Disney. We live 45 minutes from Cedar Point, the rollercoaster capital of the world and we have spent 6 hours there! So, none of my nieces and nephews and none of Mike's siblings had ever been to Disney before.
Fast forward to Christmas 2005. We are told that Mike's dad has a limited time left, maybe a few months. At the same time, Mike's company that he has worked for since he finished college----side note, he started with a restaurant that was owned by two brothers. We stayed with them and he moved up and we moved around. Now they have a couple different concepts and he is a district partner overseeing operations for 8 restaurants in Ohio, Michigan and Kentucky. About the same time as we get the bad news about his dad, we find out the brothers are going to sell the company and they are going to buy our stock options. So, last year was good financially, and terrible emotionally.
We do what we're supposed to do, pay off credit cards, do things to the house etc. Mike then asks if I have something "fun" in mind for some of the money. Do I?!!!?? It just so happens I do. Something I've wanted to do for a long time. He agrees, if it costs about xxx amount. OK, I say and then it snowballs!
I didn't do a planning journal so I'm sorry if some of this out of place. Anyway, we pick the date because it is our 10 year anniversary. I looked at cooler times of the year but with so many teachers in our family they all had different breaks so we stuck with the anniversary. It was also a Thursday which meant it would be cheaper. Although, now that I've paid for it, we would've made the minimums no problem!
We gave our family---Mike's mom, single sister, sister and hubby with 4 boys, and brother and his fiancee. My mom and stepdad, brother, sister in law and niece, sister, her hubby and 3 girls and dad and half brother the "invites" last summer around this time. We decided the only way they would come is if we paid for most of it. We decided to pay for the rooms and tickets. We then decided to stay at our favorite resorts and to do concierge level so they would be sure to love it and to help defray the food costs for them. We had the craziest room block ever. Linda, Ken Weaver's assistant was amazingly patient with me and this most confusing room block---Mike and I were there the whole time but people came at the beginning and left early and others came late and left late.
We did end up with some family drama but I don't really feel comfortable posting too much details. Let's just say it's interesting travelling with that many people with different agendas.
Ok, next I will get to the important stuff---the details about the events.
First, I should probably give you some background on how all this began. I have always loved Disney. I'm not sure when it really started but I do remember going to Disney World a couple of times when I was younger and to Disneyland a couple more times after my parents got divorced and my dad was living in California (I live in Ohio.) In 1982, I went for spring break with a friend's family and stayed in Ft Wilderness for a week. We had a blast. That's probably what sealed the deal for me.
Anyway, when Mike and I were planning our wedding, I REALLY wanted to have it at Disney. Mom and stepdad said, No, none of our friends will be able to travel. So, we had a few Disney touches at our wedding, including Mickey and Minnie cake topper and my sisters toast
"Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Lisa, who looked a lot like Snow White and dreamed of Cinderella and the life of a princess. Little did she know that she would have to kiss many toads before she would meet her Prince Charming. (Yes, I had some awful boyfriends) If Mike is her Knight in Shining Armour, Mickey's a mouse, Donald's a duck, and Pluto's a dog, then what the he#@ is Goofy? Anyway, as you begin your life together in the Magic Kingdom, maybe you could find out for me. M-I-C, see ya after the honeymoon, K-E-Y, why? because we all love you, Mr and Mrs Creedon"
So, we "settled" for our wonderful at home wedding and took a Grand honeymoon to DisneyWorld and Atlantis, in the Bahamas (to unwind a little!)
Mike was great considering that was his first ever visit to the "world". Not a bad start, honeymoon room at the Grand!
For Christmas that first year, I surprised Mike with one of the pavers in the Walk Around the World. We have the "lovely" location at the very edge of the walk by the TTC to the Polynesian.
Then we decided to start the family---Mike and I had been together for 6 years prior to this and there was no way I was waiting 6 more to start the family
Our first family trip was when our oldest son was 1. That was the beginning of the addiction we all know and love.
Including the honeymoon we have now been 15 times in 10 years---wow, that does sound a little like obsessive behavior! With those ap's and southwest's ding fares, we are in bad shape for this year too!
And no, our families have never understood our addiction. We took my dad and half brother over for a couple of nights when we went to see my Gma in Sarasota 8 years ago. We took Mike's parents when we only had one child and we took my parents after our 2nd one was born and again with my brother and sister in law for Christmas in 2004---that's the trip that made them believers. Nonetheless, every time a vacation is even brought up, I'm always embarrassed to say Disney. You know how it is. People just don't understand why we need to go back again and again. I have friends with kids who say they're bored and it's too babyish. Thank goodness, my kids have fantastic imaginations and love everything about Disney. We live 45 minutes from Cedar Point, the rollercoaster capital of the world and we have spent 6 hours there! So, none of my nieces and nephews and none of Mike's siblings had ever been to Disney before.
Fast forward to Christmas 2005. We are told that Mike's dad has a limited time left, maybe a few months. At the same time, Mike's company that he has worked for since he finished college----side note, he started with a restaurant that was owned by two brothers. We stayed with them and he moved up and we moved around. Now they have a couple different concepts and he is a district partner overseeing operations for 8 restaurants in Ohio, Michigan and Kentucky. About the same time as we get the bad news about his dad, we find out the brothers are going to sell the company and they are going to buy our stock options. So, last year was good financially, and terrible emotionally.
We do what we're supposed to do, pay off credit cards, do things to the house etc. Mike then asks if I have something "fun" in mind for some of the money. Do I?!!!?? It just so happens I do. Something I've wanted to do for a long time. He agrees, if it costs about xxx amount. OK, I say and then it snowballs!
I didn't do a planning journal so I'm sorry if some of this out of place. Anyway, we pick the date because it is our 10 year anniversary. I looked at cooler times of the year but with so many teachers in our family they all had different breaks so we stuck with the anniversary. It was also a Thursday which meant it would be cheaper. Although, now that I've paid for it, we would've made the minimums no problem!
We gave our family---Mike's mom, single sister, sister and hubby with 4 boys, and brother and his fiancee. My mom and stepdad, brother, sister in law and niece, sister, her hubby and 3 girls and dad and half brother the "invites" last summer around this time. We decided the only way they would come is if we paid for most of it. We decided to pay for the rooms and tickets. We then decided to stay at our favorite resorts and to do concierge level so they would be sure to love it and to help defray the food costs for them. We had the craziest room block ever. Linda, Ken Weaver's assistant was amazingly patient with me and this most confusing room block---Mike and I were there the whole time but people came at the beginning and left early and others came late and left late.
We did end up with some family drama but I don't really feel comfortable posting too much details. Let's just say it's interesting travelling with that many people with different agendas.
Ok, next I will get to the important stuff---the details about the events.
