Long time Lurkers first Pre-Trip Report

[llouda30]

Hello everyone, as you can see from my title and number of posts I am a long time lurker I have truly enjoyed reading every one else's trip reports and dining reports, esp during the long winters, so I am going to try this for the first time and see how it goes, so bare with me

You can call me Daisy, I am a 38 yo mother to three wild boys as a long time barbie lover and cabbage patch hugger I always secretly hoped for one of them to be a girl, but alas it was not meant to be, however everything always works out as it should and I luv luv luv my three little men and could not imagine life any other way, I thank God every day that they are healthy and wild I have a fairly stressfull job in health care, I work about 4 days a week which gives me time with the family and other things that need to get done. I detest volunteering or going anywhere where I don't know people or what I am supposed to be doing, I'm sure I have some type of anxiety disorder, but I seem to be plugging along otherwise so other than some of my boys teachers and there parents maybe wanting to give me a good wallup, I guess I'm doing ok. I digress...

Then we have Uncle Scooge, or DH (40) so here is a REALLY stupid question that I'm embarrassed to admit I don't know, but I know you good dissers will set me straight, what does the "D" stand for? Disney husband? or dear husband? He works very hard all year, and while he is not a fanatic like me, I think he very much looks forwards to these trips...he is however one cheap dude!! so we usually go in Sept when it is cheaper, and with the boys who eat like hogs if we can get free dining it makes the trip even more palatable (no pun intended)

On to the boys, first is baby huey, DS 11, this is one big boy for his age, very tall and broad, thats why we call him baby huey, when you have a big boy that you have to look up at and he is whining and crying like a baby it just reminds me of that bear from some cartoon, maybe Bugs Bunny? Anyway, he actually is a good kid, loves sports, esp football, does really well in school and is just starting to get a little mouthy

Then we have Dewy DS(8) my handsome boy who has middle child syndrome for sho. He is not really sure what he is into, he is fine playing by himself and keeps himself occupied very easily, he is a lot like me and isn't too keen on trying new things, but does love, love love Disney

Finally there is Lewy DS(6) our surprise baby it's funny how things change as he was a clingy, screaming collicky baby until about age 2, and now he is the sweetest little guy with the best outgoing, fun personality... go figure. so hang in there parents if you have any screamers

Wow, so thats the who I guess, now I am going to post this and then see if I can add some pictures...

 

[gallmcduck]

Hi, joining in, we too are a family of 5 and I'm really pleased to hear about your youngest being a screamer we have one too! Hoping that for our trip next year she had grown out of that.

 

[llouda30]

AHH, I see I need to post 2 more to post pics, ok...

So the next thing is the when:

About 2 weeks from now!!!

I himmed and hawed about which resort to stay at, last year we did a quick trip this same time of year and stayed at all star music, first time, while it was adequate I did feel like I was at a "motel" type atmosphere, other times we have stayed off property in a 2 bedroom condo at the Fountains which was brilliant, huge, great beds, tv, kitchen, pool and the price was exceptional, however I still think we do better staying on property with dining, and I know it is purely psychological, but I always feel more like I am "at Disney" when I stay on property....So I looked and looked at a Deluxe, now let me back track, back when I was young and stupid I took a year off after high school to "find myself" so me and my best buddy drove down to Florida and got jobs at Disney, I worked at the Polynesian, at one point picking up dirty room service trays (yes very glamorous, not quite what I had in mind..."what do you mean I don't get to play Cinderella?") until I drove one of the golf carts into a rock then they made me a hostess at was back then the "Coral Isle Cafe", I found myself broke and homesick so after about 9 months I crawled back home and enrolled in college so anyway, my heart has always been at the Poly and I really, really tried to talk myself into the extra cost just to be there, but couldn't quite do it, so we are going to try POR, I have never been there, it looks beautiful, but I do love me some GWTW so I wish the 5 of us could stay in a mansion but I don't think it's to be...


So It's POR from 9/19-9/25

 

[llouda30]

Hi, joining in, we too are a family of 5 and I'm really pleased to hear about your youngest being a screamer we have one too! Hoping that for our trip next year she had grown out of that.

Glad I'm not the only one, maybe in the US anyway Thanks so much for joining!!

 

[llouda30]

Ok, let me see if I can work this picture thing, and if this works this is a pic of my three sons from last year

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[llouda30]

Me and the boys all looking a little wore out, pretty pathetic that I have no recent family picture and these are all from a year ago, when baby huey was still shorter than me

 

[llouda30]

I know I have at least one with DH in it

Notice my son's hideous sorcerer Mickey ears, the kid would not take them off, it was funny because he would fall asleep on the bus ride and the hat would fall over his face with that big blue sorcerer hat sticking straight out of his head like a big nose

and here he looks a little crabbier, as do I

 

[llouda30]

and a few more, I love taking the kids to get their hair cut at the barber shop, the stylists (sp?) are AWESOME!! I love how she made fun of baby huey because he wanted a justin beiber hair-do but wouldn't, COULDN'T possibly admit that!

and Luey before:

and after! Love it!

 

[gallmcduck]

You're trip is nearly into single digits wow how exiciting. We stayed in the poly many moons ago but didn't really appreciate it back then, like you do we want to stay their again. POR is a fav for us so much so we were all set to book for next year until we got a deal to good to refuse at deluxe, discount plus dining so that sealed OKW. The barber shop gives us many smiles. Your family are lovely.

 

[llouda30]

OKW wow!! Are you a DVC member or were you able to just book it like "regular" people?? I have not yet learned the ins and outs of getting a better deal yet with disney...

 

[llouda30]

So this is probably a boring thing to do, but I know some dissers like details ( I do ) so I guess I will do the run down of our basic plan for this trip, which I am already so excited about I can't hardly sleep, why that it is I really can not explain, and I think this is a better forum to discuss this in, than say, facebook, where half of my "friends" don't get the whole Disney fascination, much less want to hear about another trip

Oh and some doctor I work with told me that she hates Disney World because Walt was an anti-semite Say what?? Since when?? So needless to say I am not surrounded by lovers.

We went last year around this time of year and there was a SERIOUS nasty bug problem, love bugs I think they were called! Nasty!! They were all over the windows at the airports, around the busses, and sometimes you'd walk through a swarm of them at the parks

One thing I have always loved about Disney is that it is clean with NO BUGS DARN IT!! So I hoping whatever infestation going on last year is gone

Also, last year the bus was a major, major PIA, so we are renting a car, I know it's an extra expense but with hot wire it wasn't too bad, and I got seriously crabby last year about the busses that I almost let it ruin my trip, so I'm not playing that game again this year. To remedy the expense for that we did not get hoppers, I did that last year and it actually worked out better with my wild boys, if they knew they were only at one park for the day they didn't drive me nuts wanting to run from one park to the other to do the "big" rides, instead we got to take our time and do anf made a point of trying to do every goofy thing that each park offered, it turned out to be a lot of fun.

So we arrive Sunday afternoon and then will head to POR. We have a dinner ADR at Ohanas which I love even with mixed reviewsthen go to MK for EMH that night..

Monday we are going to Chef mickeys for breakfast which I think is meh but my kids love, then spend the Day at MK.

I'll leave it there from now, since I don't want to bore my one loyal follower from Scotland!! Can we say awesome that you are from Scotland

Final pic, just to show you how my screamer has changed, this was a few years ago at that "other" park, which I hated BTW, too many simulatorsand I shouldn't laugh at his terror because I'm fairly certain at his age I would have been screaming too had my evil parents made me stand under this thing for a picture

 

[llouda30]

Ok, and one final bad parent picture from 2 years ago, can you say Mommy and Daddy please buy your children some sunglasses and yes the sunglasses have been purchased and are sitting in a pile with the other dollar store things

 

[FosterA]

what a cute family!
I'm subscribing to your thread and can't wait to hear all about your trip when you get back especially.

P.s. my daughter was a colicky screaming non-sleeping EVER child and is now 14 and super smart and responsible and doesn't cause an ounce of trouble, not to mention other grown ups compliment me on how good she is and they hope their kids grow up like her. So..yes, there is plenty of hope for those difficult babies out there!

p.s. as a hairdresser, I like the barber shop photos and the Justin Bieber effect. lol

 

[ScotsMinnie]

Great pics! I share your views on the "other park" but I do love those Thing 1, 2 and 3 shirts!!!! Can't wait to hear more!

 

[gallmcduck]

OKW wow!! Are you a DVC member or were you able to just book it like "regular" people?? I have not yet learned the ins and outs of getting a better deal yet with disney...

No we are not DVC members, would be a nice thought We got this deal through disney UK, not many agents in UK can beat disney UK direct prices

 

[gallmcduck]

Thing 1, 2 & 3 t-shirts too cute We did buy thing 1 and thing 2 one year, pre DD2, DS would scream now if I pulled them out the case

MK first night Always a first park for us to get into the spirit of disney.

 

[llouda30]

Thing 1, 2 & 3 t-shirts too cute We did buy thing 1 and thing 2 one year, pre DD2, DS would scream now if I pulled them out the case

MK first night Always a first park for us to get into the spirit of disney.

You wouldn't believe the Disney guilt I had buying those "non Disney" t-shirts, however they were too funny, and you'll never see them again as like you, getting baby Huey back into his thing 1 t-shirt aint eva ..gonna..happen

 

[llouda30]

So then on Tuesday we are going to DHS, I have no specific plans for breakfast but I LOVE me some Tonga Toast, so we may head to the POLY, yummy deep fried bread covered in sugar, with some strawberry sauce to make you feel healthy

I don’t want to "waste" a TS on this so if we go will pay OOP…I do have dinner ADR’s at WCC, I have never been there and have never set foot in the WL so this will be a first. I wasn’t too interested in eating at DHS, one note though, last year after lurking on the Dis I could not WAIT to try one of those big chocolate cupcakes from starring rolls, so I ran over there to get one and of course was not hungry at all, so they wrapped it up for me in a clear plastic container, well I walked around with that thing all day and about 20 different CM’s made fun of me, a few told me not to worry no one was going to mug me, and one even said it looked like I was cradling a baby or a most treasured prize, needless to say I must have had some kind of look that said this is my precious cupcake, so back off!!

Wednesday is Epcot day, I have lunch ADR’s at Tepan Edo, my kids have never been to any Japanese restaurant like this so I think they will enjoy it, one of my best recommendations is what we did for dinner last year at EPCOT, we got 1 CS dinner/dessert from England, Morocco, Germany and Mexico and shared them all, the kids loves it and felt very “traveled”. I have been known to have some stomach issues and was nervous about trying all this different stuff, but even with my issues no Imodium was needed and we all did just fine. :

Thursday is AK day, this park is ok to me, but whenever we go it is so darn hot I feel like I am walking on the face of the sun…it always feels packed and crowed too, I think from the layout of the pathways, I do have ADR’s at BOMA for dinner, another first for the restaurant and a visit to the hotel. I can’t wait to try a zebra dome…

Side note, a few years ago at Disney we were at the pool and me and my husband both heard a bunch of people talking about their touring plans (he is lurker too, just not on the Dis) well let me just say we all basically had the same idea, MK on Monday, DHS or Epcot on Tuesday and AK on Thursday, a nice CM told me to avoid MK like the plague on a Monday, because everyone wants to go their “first” and most people come in on a weekend, but I want my first full day at MK..Just like every other numbskull…oh well…
That’s it for now, a few pictures from said AK, and yes this is me in the dollar store poncho, I hate have my shorts sticking to my butt while I am walking around in 100 degree heat, it doesn’t cool me off, just makes me feel sticky and nasty…

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[gallmcduck]

Tonga toast sounds yummy what a great way to start the day oh the zebra dome looks like a great way to finish of your meal as well, two areas that I haven't tried but on the suggestions for next year.

I'm with you on wet sticky clothes, even worse when you have wet shoes also

 

[llouda30]

So my plan for tomorrow is to fax POR a room request and then do online check-in, I’m pretty sure they will throw it in the “who cares” pile but you never know…so I’ll let you know when we get back. The only thing I’m hoping for is a refurbed room and ground floor, the older I get the lazier I get, and at Disney, not climbing one more set of stairs can seem like a lifesaver at the end of the day.

For Friday we have ADR’s for Crystal Palace for breakfast, we also have ADR’s for the castle for lunch but I am 99% sure I am going to cancel those, my middle son begged to eat in “Mickey’s” castle a few years ago, so we trumped up the 2 TS’s for it, the food was ok, but my kids were not into princesses at ALL and after awhile they were annoying me when they wouldn’t get up or acknowledge them like rude little boys, so after that embarrassment I didn’t make ADR’s last year and my middle one kept asking about eating there again, so I made them this year, but the closer I get, the less I can get these kids excited about any princess, anywhere, so I think I will save my TS’s for somewhere else and cancel it out far enough out that I don’t get charged.

Friday night is the MNSSHP so of course I have cheapo husband, so we are not going, but we think we will ride the little boat over to the Poly, eat at Cpt. Cooks and watch the MNSSHP fireworks from the beach.

Saturday will be our last day, I think we’ll head back to Epcot…so that is my somewhat boring pre-trip report, I will definitely get the “real” trip report going after we get back, so hopefully I will have some followers along for the journey.

Ok one final random picture, this illustrates well why I call my boys wild, imagine my surprise when I found this picture, apparently taken on a day when my husband was in charge, the idiot laying on the gound is my middle son, and jumping him is his older brotherall I can say is not my idea to get these kids these things On that happy note!! Heres hoping I have a great trip report to share