CheshireMelanie
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2004
- Messages
- 70
This is my first post, but I have been a "lurker" on this board since October. Wanted to share...
Mickey Mason Maher Mouse Dec. 11 17, 2004
Cast
Melvis (a.k.a Melanie) Me (39 dangerously close to 40th birthday, which may have something to do with buying the Mazda Miata convertible and convincing all immediate family that we needed to spend an early holiday with The Mouse.)
Dr. D my dear, DH (54); purports to be Grumpy by wearing considerable items of clothing bearing said image, however, by nature, much more like Doc. University Professor, who taught a Winter Session class WHILE we were on vacation. Online classes and high speed internet are glorious things. (And yes, there is a 15 year age difference and all I have to say is Viva ldifference!)
Deanster DSis (34) total princess with an amazing, creative brain secretly wishes to be Ariel if only to find her Prince Eric. Professional independent photographer. Between the two of us, we, this is NO LIE, took over 1, 000 pics during this trip. Our mutual scrapbooking habit is currently on overload.
Big Cal DFather (64) absolute salt of the earth. Would go anywhere, do anything just to please his wife and daughters (and to get them to be quiet!). Is used to being out numbered even all family pets have been female. Has great empathy for Dr. D being married to me for nearly 14 years. Big Cal is 6 5 by the way. This will be important information later.
Mini Maureen DMother (NOT 64! Mysteriously as I get older, she gets younger we have suspicions that she is perhaps an alien this has been somewhat substantiated by her obsession with Elvis.) I have acquired my best queenly skills by watching her all my life. Best thing she makes for dinner is reservations. She is 5 1 by the way. Ibid.
Crew
Pag (pronounced with a long a as in short for The Pagan Baby) (25) Long story here about how he got his name, but suffice it to say that he belongs to a select group of university students who have deemed themselves adopted by DH and me and is part of our family. He is the resident house sitter, limo driver to the airport, cat and dog feeder and all around cool guy. He, in essence, makes our vacations much more relaxing by knowing that all things are being taken care of at home.
The Prequel
I had my reservations about venturing on an Adults only trip to THE WORLD. I had been 20 years earlier with my second to last husband on our honeymoon. Only MK and Epcot then. To be absolutely honest with you, didnt remember much.
Must have blocked it
I, however, truly wanted to return with current (and last) husband and thought that a family trip would be fun. I hadnt traveled with my sister and parents in decades. DH and I travel quite frequently, but mostly to NYC to do the theatre thing. (We both have degrees in the Performing Arts). Would be nice to do something at least in theory, a little less hectic than Manhattan.
December 2003, DHs Mom passed away. I thought maybe a diversion would be good for all of us.
Now, we had some logistical problems to overcome. Big Cal broke a hip in his 40s while chasing a cousin with a water pistol in Louisiana 150 miles from any surgical facilities ANYway, he has several VERY long metal rods that hold his leg on his body (ewwww) and make all sorts of bells and whistles go off when he goes to the airport.
It pains him when it rains.
I knew that hiking around all the parks would not be feasible for him and probably really exhausting for Mini (not to mention the rest of us) so I began my quest for solutions. Here is where my Disney Internet Discussion Boards obsession began. Because of incredibly knowledgeable, kind and fun people, I found Randys Mobility who could set me up with some really nifty scooters (a.k.a ECVs) The hard part would be convincing Big Cal to ride one. He surprisingly was all for it and even lobbied Mini into liking the idea for herself. One problem (quite probably two) solved.
#2 As I said above, DH would be on the clock as it were while we were gone. What he really needed to do was to be able to check emails and moderate discussion boards for about an hour a day, as it was the first week of his class and students would be getting acclimated to the Web environment, etc. We used a wonderful travel agent she suggested the CSR because they cater to a business clientele and had high speed internet available in the rooms and WiFi at certain locations. I was a bit concerned because I had read about how BIG this resort was, but being from Texas and putting in some very well worded requests about wanting to be near the main building, I figured this would be no hill for a stepper as my grandmother used to say.
#3 Back to medical issues. I was in an automobile accident many, many moons ago and suffered really bad neck and back injuries (whiplashed so hard, I tore my carotid artery lucky to be alive). Soooooo, no thrill rides for me. DH is a stroke survivor; little hearing loss, little balance problems occasionally- tiny annoyances in the grand scheme of things again, lucky to be alive. Has arterial vascular disease no thrill rides for him, either. Big Cal and Mini Mo arent interested in Space Mountain either (could wreck Minis hairdo) how to convince them that there will be enough to entertain and thrill them for a week? Quick trip to the boards, Passporter loaned to the parents (and just for my sanitys sake, a look at the WDW website and the forum here for disabilities to learn which rides did what and how to get on them, etc WOW, what a help!) Everyones excited and all say if you plan it, we will come
So, booked the vacation in October and started the trip counter to go off on December 11th!
Chapter 1 - YOU ARE HERE
[thread=707410]Chapter 2 - T minus 48 Hours[/thread]
[thread=707456]Chapter 3 - 3,2,1 - We have Ignition[/thread]
[thread=708708]Chapter 4 - Together at Last[/thread]
[thread=709177]Chapter 5 - The Call of the Wild[/thread]
[thread=711162]Chapter 5.1 With Apologies to Rudyard Kipling[/thread]
[thread=713380]Chapter 6 Winter in the World Showcase[/thread]
[thread=717514]Chapter 7 MGM - The day of the Ugly Pictures[/thread]
[thread=741726]Chapter 7.1 Subzero MGM Adventure [/thread]
[thread=891702]Chapter 8 News from the Dolphin Tank and the OEFYO Syndrome[/thread]
[thread=925117]Chpt. 9.1 Lunch with an Imagineer & The Final and Mad Dash[/thread]
Mickey Mason Maher Mouse Dec. 11 17, 2004
Cast
Melvis (a.k.a Melanie) Me (39 dangerously close to 40th birthday, which may have something to do with buying the Mazda Miata convertible and convincing all immediate family that we needed to spend an early holiday with The Mouse.)
Dr. D my dear, DH (54); purports to be Grumpy by wearing considerable items of clothing bearing said image, however, by nature, much more like Doc. University Professor, who taught a Winter Session class WHILE we were on vacation. Online classes and high speed internet are glorious things. (And yes, there is a 15 year age difference and all I have to say is Viva ldifference!)
Deanster DSis (34) total princess with an amazing, creative brain secretly wishes to be Ariel if only to find her Prince Eric. Professional independent photographer. Between the two of us, we, this is NO LIE, took over 1, 000 pics during this trip. Our mutual scrapbooking habit is currently on overload.
Big Cal DFather (64) absolute salt of the earth. Would go anywhere, do anything just to please his wife and daughters (and to get them to be quiet!). Is used to being out numbered even all family pets have been female. Has great empathy for Dr. D being married to me for nearly 14 years. Big Cal is 6 5 by the way. This will be important information later.
Mini Maureen DMother (NOT 64! Mysteriously as I get older, she gets younger we have suspicions that she is perhaps an alien this has been somewhat substantiated by her obsession with Elvis.) I have acquired my best queenly skills by watching her all my life. Best thing she makes for dinner is reservations. She is 5 1 by the way. Ibid.
Crew
Pag (pronounced with a long a as in short for The Pagan Baby) (25) Long story here about how he got his name, but suffice it to say that he belongs to a select group of university students who have deemed themselves adopted by DH and me and is part of our family. He is the resident house sitter, limo driver to the airport, cat and dog feeder and all around cool guy. He, in essence, makes our vacations much more relaxing by knowing that all things are being taken care of at home.
The Prequel
I had my reservations about venturing on an Adults only trip to THE WORLD. I had been 20 years earlier with my second to last husband on our honeymoon. Only MK and Epcot then. To be absolutely honest with you, didnt remember much.
Must have blocked it
I, however, truly wanted to return with current (and last) husband and thought that a family trip would be fun. I hadnt traveled with my sister and parents in decades. DH and I travel quite frequently, but mostly to NYC to do the theatre thing. (We both have degrees in the Performing Arts). Would be nice to do something at least in theory, a little less hectic than Manhattan.
December 2003, DHs Mom passed away. I thought maybe a diversion would be good for all of us.
Now, we had some logistical problems to overcome. Big Cal broke a hip in his 40s while chasing a cousin with a water pistol in Louisiana 150 miles from any surgical facilities ANYway, he has several VERY long metal rods that hold his leg on his body (ewwww) and make all sorts of bells and whistles go off when he goes to the airport.
It pains him when it rains.
I knew that hiking around all the parks would not be feasible for him and probably really exhausting for Mini (not to mention the rest of us) so I began my quest for solutions. Here is where my Disney Internet Discussion Boards obsession began. Because of incredibly knowledgeable, kind and fun people, I found Randys Mobility who could set me up with some really nifty scooters (a.k.a ECVs) The hard part would be convincing Big Cal to ride one. He surprisingly was all for it and even lobbied Mini into liking the idea for herself. One problem (quite probably two) solved.
#2 As I said above, DH would be on the clock as it were while we were gone. What he really needed to do was to be able to check emails and moderate discussion boards for about an hour a day, as it was the first week of his class and students would be getting acclimated to the Web environment, etc. We used a wonderful travel agent she suggested the CSR because they cater to a business clientele and had high speed internet available in the rooms and WiFi at certain locations. I was a bit concerned because I had read about how BIG this resort was, but being from Texas and putting in some very well worded requests about wanting to be near the main building, I figured this would be no hill for a stepper as my grandmother used to say.
#3 Back to medical issues. I was in an automobile accident many, many moons ago and suffered really bad neck and back injuries (whiplashed so hard, I tore my carotid artery lucky to be alive). Soooooo, no thrill rides for me. DH is a stroke survivor; little hearing loss, little balance problems occasionally- tiny annoyances in the grand scheme of things again, lucky to be alive. Has arterial vascular disease no thrill rides for him, either. Big Cal and Mini Mo arent interested in Space Mountain either (could wreck Minis hairdo) how to convince them that there will be enough to entertain and thrill them for a week? Quick trip to the boards, Passporter loaned to the parents (and just for my sanitys sake, a look at the WDW website and the forum here for disabilities to learn which rides did what and how to get on them, etc WOW, what a help!) Everyones excited and all say if you plan it, we will come
So, booked the vacation in October and started the trip counter to go off on December 11th!
Chapter 1 - YOU ARE HERE
[thread=707410]Chapter 2 - T minus 48 Hours[/thread]
[thread=707456]Chapter 3 - 3,2,1 - We have Ignition[/thread]
[thread=708708]Chapter 4 - Together at Last[/thread]
[thread=709177]Chapter 5 - The Call of the Wild[/thread]
[thread=711162]Chapter 5.1 With Apologies to Rudyard Kipling[/thread]
[thread=713380]Chapter 6 Winter in the World Showcase[/thread]
[thread=717514]Chapter 7 MGM - The day of the Ugly Pictures[/thread]
[thread=741726]Chapter 7.1 Subzero MGM Adventure [/thread]
[thread=891702]Chapter 8 News from the Dolphin Tank and the OEFYO Syndrome[/thread]
[thread=925117]Chpt. 9.1 Lunch with an Imagineer & The Final and Mad Dash[/thread]
