Live Countdown, we leave 8/18 ....this will be a close one!

[Jake & Crew]

Have you ever had a great idea that sounds really good months ahead of time but when you are actually in the middle of living it you wonder "what was I thinking!"

Ones that come to mind might be hosting an open house on Christmas Eve, signing up for a training conference that starts in the morning after a Girl Scout sleepover that you chaperone, or maybe a Disney trip squeezed in between your summer at the beach and the first day of school.

That Disney trip is mine.

Now let me be clear I am very excited about our trip! We love Disney World which is why are DVC owners and why we work hard for our opportunity to spend 8-10 days every other year together in our magical,special place. It is truly a highlight in our lives to experience all we do together in WDW. We look forward to our next trip from the time the ME picks up from our resort to whisk us back to reality.

The challenge we have had is finding the time to make our trip the length we like it. Since the kids are older we do not go during school, crowds too much for me in July and we have a lot of family in town in the early part of the summer. Two years ago we did an end of August trip and it worked really well. I know this one will to....once we get there!

This summer we have been over the top busy with a family wedding that brought relatives from around the country out for long visits. We have had two funerals, a high school reunion (mine), and my dad needed a lot of care after he had a bad car accident which thankfully he is almost fully recovered from.

The girls are in an 8 week camp that ends Friday. Both girls and I are involved in summer tennis programs and did I mention there has been ALOT of extended family time....lol!

So if I had one word to describe my feelings about our upcoming trip it would be overwhelmed. I need to change that word to excited so I thought I would start my own little thread so I could when I check a to do off my list and maybe even ask if anyone thinks of anything I may be forgetting. The mission is to be taking off Sarturday at 1pm with everything done and a completed trip binder stowed in my carryon at my feet (long story from another trip why that binder would not be in stored over head!>)

We will be at the BCV for 4 nights then moving to AKLV for 5 nights. We have ADRS which I have to review and tweak, my first grocery order is in, ME has been summoned but still have to check and see if they are delivered, most items have been purchased but still need a target/job lot/grocery trip......well you get the idea. On the home front I need to pack up and move from the beach our timelines are the annual camp show will be Friday at 6pm, we will leave late night drive home and leave the next morning for the airport. Once we return home from WDW we have one day until school starts. Back to school shopping complete and school projects almost complete.

I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I hope I can do this!

 

[BreezysMom]

I am right there with you!

We decided last minute to squeeze this trip in before DD heads back to school after a very hectic summer. We leave Fri am and home the night before school starts.

I just got off of work and now I have the next 48 hours to do what I usually spend at least 6 months organizing and planning!

We too are all ready for school and soccer season to start and will dive head first into life immediately upon our return.

Have a great trip!!

 

[Jake & Crew]

Happy to know I am not alone!

Was not sure anyone else on the disboards would be as unready for a trip as I am. When I stopped and took a step back I realized I may be behind on my schedule but it is all relative, there must be many guests in WDW each week who do not even know what an ADR is! (without me my dh would be one of them)

Maybe, just maybe we are in better places than we think and maybe after a few trips it is just like tennis or riding a bike once you have figured it out it is much easier.

Hope your 48 hours is not too frantic and that Friday all of the fun settles in!

Today on the after Disney front I got 80 percent of the "real life" work done such as bank account balancing, form filling out etc the goal is to have it all done for August before we leave. Also was able to pack a good amount of stuff we don't need on the Cape or in Florida so I can run it home tomorrow.

On the Disney side I do have my ME tickets proofed and in the binder.

Hope to have a very productive day tomorrow, though the way this clock keeps ticking I will need some to get my to do list done!

Good luck to both of us!

 

[Jake & Crew]

Might have to hand over my Disboards membership card.

Just went to do online check-in 3 days before trip instead of 10.
(Violation 1 of membership).

When I did this I discovered contrary to my belief, my notes and most importantly my ADRs we are not at BCV for 4 nights...we are there for 5 and
we are not at AKL for 5 nights we are there for 4!!!

I am thrilled to have an "extra" night a BCV, actually works out better with the way we tour.....which must be why I booked it that way however I now have some plans to change.

 

[BreezysMom]

Today was a disaster as far as readiness but I work better under pressure anyway!

Tomorrow will be a marathon and then hopefully we will sack out early so we can be up and ready for our 5am limo pick up!

DD is all packed a ready to go for like a MONTH! So I will have to weed through that!

Good luck to you! Have a fantastic trip!

 

[Jake & Crew]

Have to say today was my most productive get ready day this week.

Packed up all non Florida clothes and drove back to Ri from the Cape to put the and some other items away.

Was able to pretty much complete my shopping,just need a grocery store run.

Found out our BCV ressie is one day longer than I thought so that will add work to tomorrow when itry to change ADRS

Best part of trip planning day came when I located the receipt for the no- expire tickets we have from 2006 Now we have no worries about having to hand over a grand when we arrive for tickets

Tomorrow I head back to the cape to try to pack dds after a full day of camp and beach. Sounds like they pack like your dd do this should be fun

Sending you good vibes for crunch day! I know you can do it

 

[Jake & Crew]

Well I am assuming you made it!!

I am still here plugging away. Great progress in the am, was able to get the grocery shopping and a few odds and ends for the trip. Only 3 things left on my list are sunscreen, moleskins and Immodium....tmi maybe...no pressing need for it, I just consider it insurance ~ as in if you have it you won't need it

That is where my progress ends though. DD11 made it into the finals in the tennis tournament where there was a big controversy so instead of afternoon packing there was high drama and tears. Now we have to continue the match tomorrow at 1pm so I am losing ground tomorrow too. The girls and I are getting up to pack them at 6:30am.....or so we think....we'll see what is next

 

[Jake & Crew]

DD10 and her partner lost the rematch but it was hard fought by both sides down to the end. Everyone felt better having them finish today so it was worth the lost packing time.

To make up for the time I,was up at 6:30am packing. Was done at 6:30 pm (this included packing for Disney, packing up the summer stuff, cleaning the house and of course laundry as well as the 2 hours at tennis). We went to the camp show at 6:30, in the already packed car at 8:30, arrived home at 10pm, tightened up suitcases etc and here it is1am and I a m still up. Need to get to sleep because we leave for the airport in 9 hours and I still have some loose ends.

This time tomorrow I will be snoozing in Disney

 

[BreezysMom]

DD10 and her partner lost the rematch but it was hard fought by both sides down to the end. Everyone felt better having them finish today so it was worth the lost packing time.

To make up for the time I,was up at 6:30am packing. Was done at 6:30 pm (this included packing for Disney, packing up the summer stuff, cleaning the house and of course laundry as well as the 2 hours at tennis). We went to the camp show at 6:30, in the already packed car at 8:30, arrived home at 10pm, tightened up suitcases etc and here it is1am and I a m still up. Need to get to sleep because we leave for the airport in 9 hours and I still have some loose ends.

This time tomorrow I will be snoozing in Disney

We are here! Drive safe! Maybe we will see you around the Poly!

 

[Jake & Crew]

We are here! Drive safe! Maybe we will see you around the Poly!

Wish we drove!! May have been faster

Had it down to the wire with a quick stop to buy sunscreen then my dh flew down th highway to the airport. This is about when I had the email from the airline come in with a 4 hour dely

We checked our bags,went to lunch &changed our ADR to Wednesday night.

Long story short we arrived at 10:30 instead of 4:30.......but we are here

Just had luggage delivered from ME and now I am crashing.

We are at BCV not the Poly but I hope you are having a blast