March PTR. Returning to our honeymoon spot 20 years later!

[cindyland]

Thought I would give this a try since our trip is a little different than the other March trips being planned.

Why are we going to DW when we live closer to DL?
Well, hubby and I went to DW for our honeymoon almost 20 years ago. For the past seven (yes seven) years we have been trying to build our dream home. Last spring the bank decided we should be done in two months, and called our loan. Bye-bye house. Bye-bye weekends and all free time devoted to building house. Bye-bye skipping vacations (other than frequent trips to DL). And hello to plan a family trip to Disney World! When I started pricing it, I thought maybe we should go to Hawaii instead, but my oh so sweet hubby reminded me that when we went to DW on our honeymoon, we said we wanted to come back some day with our own children...so we're coming back!

Characters:
Me (Cindy). 44 years old. Work part-time for a school, full-time as a mom.

DH. Puts up with my Disney obsession. Puts up with 15 trips to DL (and claims he doesn't want to go...but I know the truth). Lets me go wild with planning.

DS16. More excited about the trip than I thought he would be, really looking forward to his first airplane trip, and seeing Gatorland and Guitar Center.

DD13. Has known about the trip longer than her siblings because the neighbor slipped up and told her. Also a fan of the DISboards, and almost as obsessed with this trip as I am. Does not want to go to Gatorland (story about that to follow)

DD9. Very excited about the trip, the plane ride, Gatorland, the pool at the resort, all of it.

We will be staying off-site at Cypress Pointe Grand Villas Resort thanks to my in-laws and their timeshare. Long story goes with this.

No dining plan, but ADRs are booked at 50s Prime Time, Le Cellier, Chefs de France, Crystal Palace, and Whispering Canyon. Planning on eating breakfast in the condo, dinners at local restaurants. Part of my low-cost dining plan.

Dates of trip: March 24-April 2. Departing from Northern California.

So that's the start. I need to clear the laundry off the bed and go to bed. Hubby working on getting power back on for people up here after horrible storm and power outage since last Thursday night. But it is extra money for DW...

 

[oopsiDAISY]

Hi Cindy- it's Connie from the March 2011 FB page. Look forward to following your PTR!

 

[cindyland]

I started planning this trip in July while my older kids were off at camp and I was recovering from foot surgery. We decided to keep it a secret and tell the kids at Christmas. We asked my in-laws to find a timeshare, and I booked a condo at Bonnet Creek as a back-up (maybe kinda hoping the in-laws didn't find a place).

So my DD13 (Julia) comes home and I'm driving her nuts talking about restaurants and menus. I had A LOT of time on my hands due to the foot surgery. Then crazy husband decides he wants to buy a motorcycle (he was a little upset about the house thing mentioned earlier). Then he mentions that the motorcycle that he wants to buy is in Orange County...as in Anaheim area...as in DISNEYLAND! I am not stepping foot in Anaheim without going to Disneyland, and we haven't been in TWO YEARS , and my girlfriend and her family are going the same weekend.

So we got to make a quick trip to Disneyland knowing that we were going to Disney World the next year. Well, hubby and I knew, my friends knew, my kids did not. So it was easy for me to say "no" to things (Fantasmic, World of Color show at DCA, character breakfast) because it was a short trip with a much bigger trip to follow.

But, there was that foot surgery problem. I still couldn't walk long distances, and I didn't need anyone stepping on my foot (I had a nerve removed from my right foot). Fabulous. So what's a girl to do? Rent an ECV . So I found a company that would deliver it to the motel, and we were set. Also, finding a motel at the last minute for a trip in August, not getting my first choice (Howard Johnson), next door at the Fairfield Marriott. A nice-enough hotel, but a very tight squeeze for five people, especially with two adult-size teenagers.

So what did we learn on this trip that we are applying to the upcoming DW trip?
1. We would not be cramming five people into a motel room for more than one night. Instead we have a two-bedroom condo.
2. We would not waste unnecessary money on crappy Disney counter meals. $55 for hamburgers? Really? Yucky! Hubby made me promise to make breakfast in the condo (bagels, eggs, easy stuff), bring lunches (ummm didn't follow that plan), dinner in condo. I did convince him that we could get some decent table service meals at DW.
3. It would take less time to fly across the country than to drive with a trailer from Northern to Southern California (omg that was a long drive!!).

That's it for now. Hubby has been working crazy hours getting the power turned back on for residents before the next storm hits on Thursday. We've had beautiful spring like weather for about a month, and we need to catch up on all of the winter weather all at once. Since Thursday morning, he's been home to sleep twice, working through the night the other three nights. This morning I got to drive two kids to school at 6:30, then home to make a lunch and take other kid to school, then off to help a friend with car trouble, then rush around and get some stuff done before going to work at noon. I just love this single mom thing this week. Can't wait to go on vacation!!

 

[jenseib]

I'm in!

 

[Colleen27]

I'm in. What a roller coaster that must have been with the house. It sounds like you could all use a vacation after that!

 

[cindyland]

So I'm going along planning our trip, setting the alarm for 4 am to make ADRs, spending day and night on DIS boards to research our trip, and I made one fatal mistake to spoil the surprise.

I was at Julia's Nutcracker rehearsal chatting with my neighbor. They were planning on leaving in a couple of days for DL, and we were chatting about our recent trip. I knew they had recently been to DW so I mentioned that we were planning a trip for Spring Break AS A SURPRISE, IT WAS A SECRET, we WEREN'T TELLING THE KIDS UNTIL CHRISTMAS (this was the weekend before Thanksgiving). Well, rehearsal was dragging on and on so my neighbor volunteered to drive Julia home from rehearsal. OK, I left for the library with my other daughter.

About half an hour later my cell phone rings.

Julia: "Mom, Mr. K says we're going to Disney World for Spring Break! Is it true?"
I can talk around things, I can mess with people, but I cannot lie.

Me:"Oh Julia, you know Mr. K is crazy and easily confused. They're going to Disneyland this week, he must be confused..."

Julia:"Mom?"

Me:"Oh OK, but it was supposed to be a surprise, it's your Christmas gift."

Julia: "How long will it take for us to drive the motor home there?"

Awww, now I have an out! She thinks we're driving the motor home across the country from California to Florida! I explain it will take a long time, we're taking a few extra days at Spring Break, and I can't talk about it anymore because her sister is coming toward me.

So that night I show her pictures of Fort Wilderness, but explain that we aren't staying there, but here are some others that I'm looking at (not the finest establishments). Oh and a few pictures of alligators, including one in the bathroom at MK, and the You Tube video from Splash Mountain. "I wonder if alligators go in tents in Florida?" Not to mention a few snakes too. And we get to see Oklahoma and Texas...she's not too thrilled, but still happy to be going to DW.

I'm a very mean mom...

 

[jenseib]

You are hilarious! Does she now know about it, or are you still keeping it a surprise for everyone?

 

[mtgirl29]

Cannot wait to read more!!!

 

[cindyland]

So Julia has now become my co-conspirator on making plans, and keeping secrets from her brother and sister. But I have a few secrets up my sleeve.

When we started planning this trip, we thought my in-laws would be able to book us a timeshare. So they started working on this in August. No dice. So I booked Bonnet Creek. Then my in-laws gave me a list of other timeshares to choose from, I ranked them and they started checking. Soon my husband got a call that his father had booked my number one choice from the list: the Sheraton Vistana Resort. I was very excited, and I made Julia a flier with pictures from the website. But the funny thing was, no confirmation letter was coming...

So Christmas rolls around and I prepare the three DW gifts for the three kids:

#1: A toy airplane and the plane confirmations
My DS16 opened this gift, and got very excited about his first plane trip. "Orlando? Like Gatorland?" Julia was thrilled, no RV!!

#2: The Sheraton flier
This was opened by Julia, of course, who was thrilled not to be staying in a tent! Now it's dawning on the other two where we're going.

#3: Disney World for Kids book and planning DVD
DD9 opens this, and the screaming begins (it was starting to look like one of those commercials).

My son is still saying, "Can we go to Gatorland, or do we have to go to Disney World every day?" We have a funny history with Gatorland. When I was researching our honeymoon trip 20 years ago, there was no easy access to the internet (OMG I feel so old!!), and I was reading magazines and brochures. I came across an article about Gatorland and how it was actually the oldest "theme park" in the Orlando area. So my husband and I visited the park, and my husband said, "I never have to come here again." He thought we'd be taking the educational side-trip to Kennedy Space Center, but he's been out-voted!!

Now about that timeshare. I called my in-laws to tell them I still hadn't received the confirmation letter. Hmm, they gave the company the wrong address so they decided to have it sent to them (the in-laws), and we could pick it up when we were there for Christmas Day.

I got the letter when I got to the in-laws. Ummm, this says Cypress Pointe Grand Villas, not Sheraton Vistana. They meant they got the first resort in the brochure, not my first choice. Not the same thing, and I have no flier for Julia. But we looked it up and it looks fine. And I was able to book the extra time we needed to finish out our 10 days so it's all good.

So that's the summary of how we planned our trip. More small tales to follow.

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

Hi there, I'm from the Facebook group as well, I'm Kara. Just read your story about your house and I am sorry to hear it didn't work out..but sounds like you guys are making lots of lemonade out of those lemons...a trip to WDW AND a Bike? Good for you!! I want to hear all about your experience off site, it's something we may end up doing soon with 2 DD's that will inevitably want some privacy!
Can't wait to hear more!!!

 

[cindyland]

So we're now in March!! I thought we would never get here!

I'm ready to pack and set up my trip binder. I've killed a million trees printing touring guides, menus, maps, confirmations, and I've been stuffing them all into folders. On Saturday, Target had an adorable Mickey Mouse binder for $2! Perfect! Went over to Staples and picked up dividers, binder envelopes and sheet protectors. My husband is just rolling his eyes, but he'll be grateful...someday.

And I broke down and started pulling out clothes to pack this weekend. A long snow weekend made me yearn for capris. And I can't find my bathing suit! What is that? Then it dawned on me that with foot surgery last summer I didn't use it. So the horrible question -- do I tear apart my closet and look for it...or do I buy a new one I think I might actually have to get in the pool this trip. Yuck.

Well, back to work. It looks like it's another crazy day at work. I run an After School Education Program with 120 students...an overdue budget...attendance report...paperwork from three snow days to do...snack menus to prepare...and much more. Good thing this is only a "part-time" job or I wouldn't have any time to plan my trip!!

Be back soon with the continuing neighbor saga...or how I can travel all the way across the country and STILL run into people I know.

 

[jenseib]

I can't wait to hear more!!!!