Mission:Disney 6/18-7/2/04 - Part #1 - Introduction

[ehagerty]

My son wanted to name our trip:

Decidedly Intense, Synchronized, New Experiences Year 2004 (DISNEY 2004) Vacation - but it wouldn't fit in the Subject Line - so we'll just go with something simpler.

I apologize in advance for the disorderly (non-chronological) approach this trip report will take, but I wasn't counting on not having a PC to use when I returned from vacation, so I am dependent on restricted access to supply tidbits at a time. I hope to assemble the collection at the end, but will try to publish either the most memorable or the most time-senstive sections first.

Our vacation spanned 2 weeks, 4 hotels and multiple guests, but first, a bit of history, for context (prepared before I left..)....

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History of Disney Experiences 1976 - 2002

Era: Sporadic

1976 – Easter Tuesday, Bicentennial, Day Trip
My introduction to Disney was on an Easter vacation from college with a couple of friends to Florida. We spent 1 day at Disney; Easter Tuesday. I remember the Bicentennial parade (pictures in photo album), along with tickets (not passes), and up to 2 hour waits for rides. I loved the place and didn’t know any better about the long waits, so I just enjoyed myself in the queue and soaked up the atmosphere.

1980 – March Polynesian Resort, Week
This trip was notable because it was an all-inclusive package put together by my uncle for his company’s Magic Kingdom Club. $450 included air, resort, meal vouchers and pass for park admission every day. Standout memories:

1. Garden Galley – Steak, lobster and unlimited alcohol!!! After a studious review of restaurant menus, I determined that the Garden Gallery at the Disney Inn (now SOG) would provide the maximum value for the voucher. The waiters were extremely glad to see us and meals easily hit $150 - $200 with tip and tax (two bottles of wine, etc).

2. Michael Iceberg – synthesizer guy at what is now Cosmic Ray’s. Bought his LP and made a tape, which I wore out. At the time, it was the only music from the parks I could find to take home and relive the vacation. Some nice reader provided a link to his web site and I recently got the original LP as a CD.

1981 – 1986 – During this period, I lived in New York City and Washington, DC. I spent most "vacations" traveling home for various holidays. During this period, absolutely everyone I know visited me in both cities. I had the space to host and had a variety of tours developed to show my temporary hometowns. Disney never even occurred to me.

1987 – Honeymoon – HI Main Gate; enjoyed the trip, but no real desire to return to the hotel.

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Era: Committed / Immersion

1989 – Nov CBR, with the establishment of the first “affordable” onsite hotel, I was interested in trying it out. This was probably the second most strategic move Disney made, since opening the MK in 1971. By providing a “total immersion” experience, simple folk such as I were willing to come often and spend all our vacation dollars here. Stressed out worker bees could count on (nearly) completely pleasant experiences. No more surly front desk staff. No more infrequent, unpleasant “free transportation to the parks”. No begging for housekeeping and maintenance. No need for a car. We were forever hooked. I was 4 months pregnant, with a 1.5 year old toddler (DS1). Piece of cake.

1990 – Oct CBR – DS2 was then 6 months old. I remember thinking how easy it was to vacation with children here. Facilities available for baby maintenance, restaurants accepted families with young children. No need to dress up anywhere. Yup, my kind of place.

1991 – Dec POFQ - great – another moderate hotel, something new to try, still affordable, love the real New Orleans, and appreciated the theming and details. Hmmm – maybe we COULD try an occasional restaurant or two. Loved Cape May buffet – then free for young children (which ours were at the time). On our video, we have extensive footage of my husband taping the exterior of the Yacht Club and Stormalong Bay, and asking “Gee, do you think we could stay here in 1999?” Well, now that we’ve seen the place, can we afford to raise the bar? Something to think about. Something to plan.

1992 –Nov Yacht Club, Sure enough, with a Disney package (which still included meal vouchers, thus making them a good deal if you knew how to maximize them) combined with a stockholder room discount (last year available, 40%), we stayed here for 9 days. While here, I decided to take the DVC tour. Decided to do it, brought paperwork home to complete. Official DVC member (paperwork processed) 2/93.

1993 – 2000 – 2x year, food in room / pack lunch, consistent $200 flights, AP (365 days from first use, not a the current "annual renewal" date), kids school workload allowed for time off during school year. The glory years.

2000 - 2002 – without the free park passes, there is not as much incentive to stay over the high point utilization weekend (Fri/Sat) nights. This set us on the path of planning weekend nights at moderate resorts (AP discounts) and weekday nights at DVC resorts. Discovery of meal vouchers = less grocery planning and moving food.

Coming next:

Recap of 2003 vacation **OR** "How to recovery from an abdominal hysterectomy at DisneyWorld"

Which sets the stage for the 2004 PLAN.

 

[LurkerLisa]

I'm liking your style Please keep going! You know I mean it if you see my user name, how little I post and how long I've been a member

Lisa

 

[ehagerty]

Thanks you for the encouragement and for tuning in. As you can see, I too qualify as a lurker, since I have a very low "postings per membership month". It just seems that everyone has already said most of what I WOULD have said!!

My motivation for writing a trip report this year - first time ever - was how much I enjoyed reading each and every trip report available on mouseplanet.com in preparation for this year's trip. It was not so much that I learned something new (although that is always true, too) but it encouraged me to try new things I had been putting off (backstage tours) and allowed me to relive my own trips. So this report is something of a "give back" for all the others who shared.

 

[we3disneygo]

ehagerty? about your name? my maiden name haggerty just was curious

 

[ehagerty]

We don't know the evolution of our name, or the possible impact of emigration, but it is an atypical spelling. Can't easily find it on a map of Ireland. Most are Haggerty or Hegarty.

I often have people spell my name with two gg's on reservations even after I spelled it out for them

 

[we3disneygo]

Or not enough"g"'s! we had been told that 2 brothers came over and on the way to America they got in a fight and 1 brother dropped the g out of our last name! so i just had to ask as you don't come across the name very often. we had found an old book at the library about irish history and list the name O'Hegarty coming from Derry (Londonderry) in Northern Ireland. there was also a Nora Hagarty on the titanic but she did not make it alive.thanks for reply. very interesting.

 

[Deb T.]

Looking forward to reading your report.

 

[ehagerty]

My dad's sister kids about our relatives coming over during the famine, through Kingston, Ontario - escaping a reputation as horse thieves. I think they like that story because it is so colorful, but we don't really know the history.

In any case, we know there was a John Hagerty in the American Revolution - but he was a Protestant minister - so that doesn't seem likely, although it would be more consistent with the "Northern Ireland" scenario....

Thanks for the tip, though. My step-aunt likes tracing the family history and this looks like a clue. My dad, whose mother was a Kennedy, doesn't bother with any lineage stuff. His focus has always been where he is going (eternal salvation), not where his forebears have been. I never even heard "Danny Boy" until I was an adult......