melomouse
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2001
- Messages
- 1,396
Hello All -
Don't know how much energy I have. Isn't the first week back from the World always a bummer?? Our CM's:
Melomouse(me) - pushing the big 5 - 0 on our 6th trip to WDW
DBF(soon to be FORMER DBF) - also staring at 5-0, and having less than 1/2 of my love of WDW and definitely less than 1/2 my energy!
DS(13) - my Hi-functioning autistic son - Asperger's - usually better behaved at WDW - fewer meltdowns
DD(9) - my princess who wonders why EVERY b'day can't be celebrated at WDW, since she did #'s 5, 6 and 7 there!!
Six weeks advance planning when my daughter begged for a vacation back to WDW, preferably at WL, and SWA complied with fares of $115 R/T from out local airport.School calendar also complied with Rosh Hoshanah, Yom Kippur and Columbus Day within 2 weeks, so they'd miss 5 days of class in 2 weeks of school.
Checked Disney Reservations and found extremely limited availability - WL woodsview was quoted at over 3K for 9 nights. That blows the budget for lodging. I look into pool homes. Rent directly from an owner from Chicago, who gets into a price war with her next door neighbor, and end up with pool, jaccuzzi, full kitchen W/D, 3 BR's for $750 - 9 nites, all taxes included.
Play games on the car rental sites in my "spare" time, likely putting in 20 hours to save $22! Upon arrival, my hard-shopped for intermediate is upgraded free to a Dodge Caravan. "Let the Magic Begin!" I cry out as I hug the bewildered National lady!
Flight is quick and uneventful - we find the house fairly quickly in Indian Ridge, unpack and get out for some dinner at Golden Corral. The home is absolutely lovely with things DS does not have at home - he has Game Cube -here it is X-Box, and he has a large-screen TV with 100 + channels.
Day 2 - MGM Studios since this is the day I booked the Fantasmic Dinner Package for Hollywood and Vine. We have to go to Ticketmania to p/u the tix I ordered online. It's up by Universal and we get lost, but it's raining pretty hard and I am enjoying driving the van and have a full tank. DD gets anxious. DBF cannot read maps or navigate at all. All tickets are in order and they throw in an info pack, a 20 minute phone card and some mini-golf tickets. I have 4 day expiry PH and one day at DQ. DS has been asking for DQ for 4 years!
We get to MGM by 11:30. Almost lunchtime, but we do ToT first. DBF almost chickens out but is encouraged by DD. I sit w/ DS and close my eyes throughout. I cannot stand heights. How will I ever manage Soarin', I wonder?????
And.. It's crowded. It's hot. We have our frozen water bottles as we had stopped at Publix the night before after dinner. It's a Tuesday, for goshsakes!!! We check out Starring Roles Bakery for possible lunch. Fancy sandwiches - 3 choices - that look great but are $7.99 @, and DD and DS will not choose the kids' selection, which is a crustable, a cookie and a drink... We move on through to Backlot Express and eat there. Crowded. Busy. People slowing down the line to ask about specifics included on the dining plan. YES - you get a dessert!!! I get the kids' veggie chicken meal!! Great stuff! Kids get chicken fingers and cheesburger and DBF has a turkey & gruyere on a grainy toasted bread. Birds are all over. People are moving chairs to try to get seated. Interesting display of the paintbrushes and set-building equipment.
After hot and noisy lunch, we head off to Star Tours. A line. Have never seen such a line. We pass time encouraging a mom with two kids - newbies to this ride. She's scared. DBF is worried - he has not tried this one, either.
I enjoyed Star Tours better this time than ever before. This was my 3rd time!! The lady on line in front of me was thrilled when she came out!
Off to Muppets 3-D. Fun as always.We see that Woody and Jessie are in front of Toy Barn. Lines are long. And hot. I have ice still in my water bottle and refill it!!
Okay - back in the real world - DD needs to be picked up from Brownies!!! More to come....
melomouse
Don't know how much energy I have. Isn't the first week back from the World always a bummer?? Our CM's:
Melomouse(me) - pushing the big 5 - 0 on our 6th trip to WDW
DBF(soon to be FORMER DBF) - also staring at 5-0, and having less than 1/2 of my love of WDW and definitely less than 1/2 my energy!
DS(13) - my Hi-functioning autistic son - Asperger's - usually better behaved at WDW - fewer meltdowns
DD(9) - my princess who wonders why EVERY b'day can't be celebrated at WDW, since she did #'s 5, 6 and 7 there!!
Six weeks advance planning when my daughter begged for a vacation back to WDW, preferably at WL, and SWA complied with fares of $115 R/T from out local airport.School calendar also complied with Rosh Hoshanah, Yom Kippur and Columbus Day within 2 weeks, so they'd miss 5 days of class in 2 weeks of school.
Checked Disney Reservations and found extremely limited availability - WL woodsview was quoted at over 3K for 9 nights. That blows the budget for lodging. I look into pool homes. Rent directly from an owner from Chicago, who gets into a price war with her next door neighbor, and end up with pool, jaccuzzi, full kitchen W/D, 3 BR's for $750 - 9 nites, all taxes included.
Play games on the car rental sites in my "spare" time, likely putting in 20 hours to save $22! Upon arrival, my hard-shopped for intermediate is upgraded free to a Dodge Caravan. "Let the Magic Begin!" I cry out as I hug the bewildered National lady!
Flight is quick and uneventful - we find the house fairly quickly in Indian Ridge, unpack and get out for some dinner at Golden Corral. The home is absolutely lovely with things DS does not have at home - he has Game Cube -here it is X-Box, and he has a large-screen TV with 100 + channels.
Day 2 - MGM Studios since this is the day I booked the Fantasmic Dinner Package for Hollywood and Vine. We have to go to Ticketmania to p/u the tix I ordered online. It's up by Universal and we get lost, but it's raining pretty hard and I am enjoying driving the van and have a full tank. DD gets anxious. DBF cannot read maps or navigate at all. All tickets are in order and they throw in an info pack, a 20 minute phone card and some mini-golf tickets. I have 4 day expiry PH and one day at DQ. DS has been asking for DQ for 4 years!
We get to MGM by 11:30. Almost lunchtime, but we do ToT first. DBF almost chickens out but is encouraged by DD. I sit w/ DS and close my eyes throughout. I cannot stand heights. How will I ever manage Soarin', I wonder?????
And.. It's crowded. It's hot. We have our frozen water bottles as we had stopped at Publix the night before after dinner. It's a Tuesday, for goshsakes!!! We check out Starring Roles Bakery for possible lunch. Fancy sandwiches - 3 choices - that look great but are $7.99 @, and DD and DS will not choose the kids' selection, which is a crustable, a cookie and a drink... We move on through to Backlot Express and eat there. Crowded. Busy. People slowing down the line to ask about specifics included on the dining plan. YES - you get a dessert!!! I get the kids' veggie chicken meal!! Great stuff! Kids get chicken fingers and cheesburger and DBF has a turkey & gruyere on a grainy toasted bread. Birds are all over. People are moving chairs to try to get seated. Interesting display of the paintbrushes and set-building equipment.
After hot and noisy lunch, we head off to Star Tours. A line. Have never seen such a line. We pass time encouraging a mom with two kids - newbies to this ride. She's scared. DBF is worried - he has not tried this one, either.
I enjoyed Star Tours better this time than ever before. This was my 3rd time!! The lady on line in front of me was thrilled when she came out!
Off to Muppets 3-D. Fun as always.We see that Woody and Jessie are in front of Toy Barn. Lines are long. And hot. I have ice still in my water bottle and refill it!!
Okay - back in the real world - DD needs to be picked up from Brownies!!! More to come....
melomouse
