matkensgirl2000
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2010
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- 189
Welcome, oh, welcome, pinkxray! Glad to have you join. Disney must send out satellite vibes that make us forget the bad about WDW and only the good. Pure evil, I tell you!
My 1st PTR (& maybe a weight loss story thrown in)-BC: May 2011-5/17-We outta here!
- Thread starter matkensgirl2000
- Start date
Welcome, oh, welcome, pinkxray! Glad to have you join. Disney must send out satellite vibes that make us forget the bad about WDW and only the good. Pure evil, I tell you!
matkensgirl2000
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2010
- Messages
- 189
My first time to go to WDW was for my senior trip in 1999. It wasn't a grad night. We stayed at All-Star Sports and we got to miss two or three days of school. At that point, I had kind of lost touch with my class...I was so ensconced in my grades and the race for valedictorian that I couldn't focus on being Ms. Social anymore. I also was dating my future DH so I had kind of lost interest in pursuing the fellas. My mom is a teacher, so I got to go on the trip for a discount...they may have signed me up as a chaperone or something. I didn't have a job, but I mowed yards and babysat. I remember scrubbing my grandparents RV to earn money. My dad was kind of against me going (this was when the Southern Baptist Convention was boycotting Disney), but my grandmother stepped in and said I should go. My grandma rarely steps in, but my dad really listens to her. She's a Southern Baptist as well, so she really thought I deserved it. Anyway, my dad was so impressed with how hard I worked to earn money he slipped me $100 before I left.
The day I left for WDW, I got a job working in a restaurant where Matt (DH) works. This was my only time to fly to Orlando. I remember thinking what a short flight it was!
I was most excited to see the inside of the castle, but I remember being disappointed. I thought for sure you could tour the inside. I spent most of my time at MGM riding the thrill rides. I LOVED ToT and Star Wars (I still love, love ToT, but SW makes me sick). Other than going to MK a few times, I mostly slept. In fact, I was asleep for a nightly check-in and our chaperone almost had heart failure trying to find me. Oops.
Like I said in a previous post, I definitely noticed how romantic it was (esp. MK at night!!) and promised myself I would get back there with Matt one day.
I brought a camera, but only took pictures of the sights. There are two rolls of film and NOT one picture of me in the whole set! I found some in my HS yearbook though:
The first is a bunch of us with Timone. I'm the one standing up all the way to the left.
The next one is us in the holding room for Muppets 3D. Growing up in the time of The Muppet Babies on Saturday mornings, I have always been a BIG fan of the Muppets. I loved this show then and I love it now! It's always as good as the first time. I'm all the way to the right this time, in the back row. To my right is my future BIL, Brandon. We spent a lot of time together, pining for our lovers
--I was looking for a "blech" smiley, but couldn't find one.
Oh here's one:
The day I left for WDW, I got a job working in a restaurant where Matt (DH) works. This was my only time to fly to Orlando. I remember thinking what a short flight it was!
I was most excited to see the inside of the castle, but I remember being disappointed. I thought for sure you could tour the inside. I spent most of my time at MGM riding the thrill rides. I LOVED ToT and Star Wars (I still love, love ToT, but SW makes me sick). Other than going to MK a few times, I mostly slept. In fact, I was asleep for a nightly check-in and our chaperone almost had heart failure trying to find me. Oops.
Like I said in a previous post, I definitely noticed how romantic it was (esp. MK at night!!) and promised myself I would get back there with Matt one day.
I brought a camera, but only took pictures of the sights. There are two rolls of film and NOT one picture of me in the whole set! I found some in my HS yearbook though:
The first is a bunch of us with Timone. I'm the one standing up all the way to the left.
The next one is us in the holding room for Muppets 3D. Growing up in the time of The Muppet Babies on Saturday mornings, I have always been a BIG fan of the Muppets. I loved this show then and I love it now! It's always as good as the first time. I'm all the way to the right this time, in the back row. To my right is my future BIL, Brandon. We spent a lot of time together, pining for our lovers
--I was looking for a "blech" smiley, but couldn't find one.
Oh here's one:
matkensgirl2000
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2010
- Messages
- 189
Remember how I said I have definitely been smaller for Disneyworld and I have definitely been bigger? Well, the previous post was the smaller and next one was the bigger. It is hard for me to post this picture of myself, but do it I shall. Since the last time I had been to Disney, there had been some major changes in my life...I graduated HS, started college, gotten married, built a house and had my first miscarriage. Actually, that very summer of 2002 we had moved in, gotten pg and then lost it. And I know it's pretty common to gain weight the first few years of marriage...you're just so comfortable. I think I had gained closed to 40 or 50 lbs.
Anyway, I took a "semester" away from my senior year of college after the stress of building the house and 9/11. My niece had been born the previous fall as well and I was a little baby hungry. The stress of college had frazzled me (one hour commutes one-way plus the stress of maintaining good grades). That "semester" off ended up being 5 years, but THAT'S a different story.
Matt and I did not have a honeymoon, so after that tough summer, we said, Let's go to Disney. I booked us for September with a travel agent and I remember thinking how expensive $750 was for tickets and hotel (All-Star Music). Little did I know, huh?
Anywho, the NIGHT before we left, my sister was over with her husband and baby and I just got this urge to have her come with me. After a conference with Matt, we decided we could swing it and invited them along. They decided to come down a day after us after they found someone to keep the baby. Matt and I left and stayed the first night in a hotel near WDW (that was to become a tradition!). But we stayed in a place right off of I-4. Holy Moly, that was one of the worst nights of sleep I ever got. That road was SO noisy.
DH and I checked into ASMu and paid for DS and BIL's tickets, then went off on our own for before they got there. I don't remember what we did, except we ate at Les Chefs for the first time. They didn't have DDP then, so we paid OOP and I remember we got the three course meal. This was the first time I ever had creme brulee and it made a lover out of me. I loved the look of the restaurant too...how bright it was. And I loved talking francais avec le garcon! I don't often get chances to speak French so it was kind of cool to see if I could manage. My accent is tres terrible, though. Can't get the twang out of it.
I don't remember a lot of what we did, except we ate 2x a Sci-Fi and I hated the rosemary potato chips.
We also rode RNR for the first time. Matt loved it so much, I had to buy him an Aerosmith CD after that. I liked it a lot, too. I think this was the one time we watched Indiana Jones, too. We also ate at 50s Prime Time and my BIL got put in the corner for not eating his green beans. Matt and BIL will never forget those green beans. They like theirs stewed and mushy. No crisp, GREEN green beans for them.
We visited AK for the first time on this trip and I don't remember very much except for riding Dinosaur for the first time (liked it) and seeing some characters right at the entrance.
Loved Epcot and now it's my favorite. That's a big step from not even visiting the first time! Test Track was awesome (one of my faves--a must-ride). Also saw this:
We honestly didn't realize she was not a statue until she moved!
Another one of my favorites, one I definitely miss:
Some pics with characters:
Matt and BIL with Minnie at MGM Backlot (I will never get used to it being DHS).
And the pic of me and my pathologically skinny sister with Sorcerer Mickey. By the way, she's had FIVE kids and she's still tiny. Not. Fair.
But my favorite, most FAVORITE thing about this trip? Almost exactly 9 months later, THIS
(in the form of a newborn, of course) entered my world!!
Anyway, I took a "semester" away from my senior year of college after the stress of building the house and 9/11. My niece had been born the previous fall as well and I was a little baby hungry. The stress of college had frazzled me (one hour commutes one-way plus the stress of maintaining good grades). That "semester" off ended up being 5 years, but THAT'S a different story.
Matt and I did not have a honeymoon, so after that tough summer, we said, Let's go to Disney. I booked us for September with a travel agent and I remember thinking how expensive $750 was for tickets and hotel (All-Star Music). Little did I know, huh?
Anywho, the NIGHT before we left, my sister was over with her husband and baby and I just got this urge to have her come with me. After a conference with Matt, we decided we could swing it and invited them along. They decided to come down a day after us after they found someone to keep the baby. Matt and I left and stayed the first night in a hotel near WDW (that was to become a tradition!). But we stayed in a place right off of I-4. Holy Moly, that was one of the worst nights of sleep I ever got. That road was SO noisy.
DH and I checked into ASMu and paid for DS and BIL's tickets, then went off on our own for before they got there. I don't remember what we did, except we ate at Les Chefs for the first time. They didn't have DDP then, so we paid OOP and I remember we got the three course meal. This was the first time I ever had creme brulee and it made a lover out of me. I loved the look of the restaurant too...how bright it was. And I loved talking francais avec le garcon! I don't often get chances to speak French so it was kind of cool to see if I could manage. My accent is tres terrible, though. Can't get the twang out of it.
I don't remember a lot of what we did, except we ate 2x a Sci-Fi and I hated the rosemary potato chips.
We also rode RNR for the first time. Matt loved it so much, I had to buy him an Aerosmith CD after that. I liked it a lot, too. I think this was the one time we watched Indiana Jones, too. We also ate at 50s Prime Time and my BIL got put in the corner for not eating his green beans. Matt and BIL will never forget those green beans. They like theirs stewed and mushy. No crisp, GREEN green beans for them.
We visited AK for the first time on this trip and I don't remember very much except for riding Dinosaur for the first time (liked it) and seeing some characters right at the entrance.
Loved Epcot and now it's my favorite. That's a big step from not even visiting the first time! Test Track was awesome (one of my faves--a must-ride). Also saw this:
We honestly didn't realize she was not a statue until she moved!
Another one of my favorites, one I definitely miss:
Some pics with characters:
Matt and BIL with Minnie at MGM Backlot (I will never get used to it being DHS).
And the pic of me and my pathologically skinny sister with Sorcerer Mickey. By the way, she's had FIVE kids and she's still tiny. Not. Fair.
But my favorite, most FAVORITE thing about this trip? Almost exactly 9 months later, THIS
(in the form of a newborn, of course) entered my world!!
matkensgirl2000
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2010
- Messages
- 189
And now I'm going to talk about my 2006 trip--the Big Kahuna, the trip against which all other WDW trips are measured. I have so many pleasant memories associated with this trip and it was--get this--RELAXING.
This time, we brought along my mom and my youngest sister. This was also the first time we brought our kids, DD, 2 almost 3, and DS, 18 months. We originally booked POFQ but Matt told me to upgrade as an anniversary present. The morning after my youngest sister graduated from high school,
we left for WDW. We left early, got to Orlando around 6 or 7, stayed in a really nice Comfort Inn, played in the pool and ordered some yummy pizza from a place called Flippy's. I highly recommend it if you want some delivery. We were up early the next morning and checked in at the GF around 7:30 am. There was no one in the lobby but us and a CM trainee checked us in with the manager looking over his shoulder. It took a while and I reminded the manager that we would be celebrating my mom's birthday over the trip and we were also celebrating my sister's graduation. Then. I had read this might happen. I DO have great beginner's luck. But. Then. The Manager...said we were getting an upgrade to concierge!!!
Magic Moment #1. And just to feel extra fancy-schmancy, we let valet park our car. DH really loves this service and uses it every time we stay at a nice hotel. We used it the whole trip.
We checked our bags in with bell services and hopped on the monorail to transfer to Epcot. Back in the day, digital camcorders were expensive, so we had a nice, bulky VHS camcorder. I left it with Bell Services since we weren't planning on going to MK yet. Bad idea, dummy!!
DD saw Cinderella's castle in MK from the monorail. Please know that I had my child SCHOOLED in all things princess before we left. When she saw that castle, she squealed "Momma, Momma, look, it's Cinderella's Castle, it's Cinderella's Castle." Imagine this in a tiny 3 year old voice, complete with lisp. Curses!! I missed it. But I remember it. Magical Moment #2.
Cinderella was her favorite princess then, but that was the one princess we did not manage to see that time. We saw every other one and have eaten with Cindy twice since then.
Other favorite moments:
Kids seeing the "Big Golf Ball". DS also loved seeing all the airplanes in the sky. That was his big thrill for the trip.
The "Just-my-size"-ness of the trip. DD loved that they had a "just-my-size roller coaster" (Goofy's Barnstormer) and "just-my-size table and chairs" in the Sugar Loaf Lounge. Everyday, she would want to sit there and drink her chocolate milk. Chocolate milk is not out in the open in the lounge...a CM has to go get it for you. One of the CMs remembered her and knew to get her chocolate milk for her. DD loved her!!
Walking back to our room and a duck and her little ducklings crossed our path. It was just a little thing, but it was just such a sweet moment. I remember the GF even SMELLED good...like gardenias.
I just remember not feeling rushed and having so much time, it felt like we were there for TOO many days. We tried BB and loved all riding Teamboat Springs together. We did the Fantasmic Dining Package. We had the DDP when it still included apps AND the tip. Here are some pics:
DD with Daisy. I remember with every single female character she took a picture with, she would hold her "skirt" and curtsey. She is doing it in this pic.
DS in his stroller. He was NOT a fan of the characters. He would only take a pic if his dad was holding him and he was on his dad's hip that was furthest away from said character. The background of this pic is the Sugar Loaf lounge. DD is holding her chocolate milk in the background.
DD and I at Chef Mickey's. I had lost 30 lbs. since the previous trip (partly thanks to a little storm called Katrina...we couldn't get restaurant food for months after that) and had gained maybe 10 or so back since then. That's pretty much where I've been on average ever since, barring when I was pg with Wee. Oh, a little note: Don't go to CM for the food. It's not that great. It's cool to see the Mickey and the others, but if you want a yummy buffet character meal, let me suggest 1900 Park Fare. Way better! And if you must see Mickey, try Garden Grill. I didn't love it, but it was way better than CM.
This time, we brought along my mom and my youngest sister. This was also the first time we brought our kids, DD, 2 almost 3, and DS, 18 months. We originally booked POFQ but Matt told me to upgrade as an anniversary present. The morning after my youngest sister graduated from high school,
we left for WDW. We left early, got to Orlando around 6 or 7, stayed in a really nice Comfort Inn, played in the pool and ordered some yummy pizza from a place called Flippy's. I highly recommend it if you want some delivery. We were up early the next morning and checked in at the GF around 7:30 am. There was no one in the lobby but us and a CM trainee checked us in with the manager looking over his shoulder. It took a while and I reminded the manager that we would be celebrating my mom's birthday over the trip and we were also celebrating my sister's graduation. Then. I had read this might happen. I DO have great beginner's luck. But. Then. The Manager...said we were getting an upgrade to concierge!!!
Magic Moment #1. And just to feel extra fancy-schmancy, we let valet park our car. DH really loves this service and uses it every time we stay at a nice hotel. We used it the whole trip.We checked our bags in with bell services and hopped on the monorail to transfer to Epcot. Back in the day, digital camcorders were expensive, so we had a nice, bulky VHS camcorder. I left it with Bell Services since we weren't planning on going to MK yet. Bad idea, dummy!!
DD saw Cinderella's castle in MK from the monorail. Please know that I had my child SCHOOLED in all things princess before we left. When she saw that castle, she squealed "Momma, Momma, look, it's Cinderella's Castle, it's Cinderella's Castle." Imagine this in a tiny 3 year old voice, complete with lisp. Curses!! I missed it. But I remember it. Magical Moment #2.Cinderella was her favorite princess then, but that was the one princess we did not manage to see that time. We saw every other one and have eaten with Cindy twice since then.
Other favorite moments:
Kids seeing the "Big Golf Ball". DS also loved seeing all the airplanes in the sky. That was his big thrill for the trip.
The "Just-my-size"-ness of the trip. DD loved that they had a "just-my-size roller coaster" (Goofy's Barnstormer) and "just-my-size table and chairs" in the Sugar Loaf Lounge. Everyday, she would want to sit there and drink her chocolate milk. Chocolate milk is not out in the open in the lounge...a CM has to go get it for you. One of the CMs remembered her and knew to get her chocolate milk for her. DD loved her!!
Walking back to our room and a duck and her little ducklings crossed our path. It was just a little thing, but it was just such a sweet moment. I remember the GF even SMELLED good...like gardenias.
I just remember not feeling rushed and having so much time, it felt like we were there for TOO many days. We tried BB and loved all riding Teamboat Springs together. We did the Fantasmic Dining Package. We had the DDP when it still included apps AND the tip. Here are some pics:
DD with Daisy. I remember with every single female character she took a picture with, she would hold her "skirt" and curtsey. She is doing it in this pic.
DS in his stroller. He was NOT a fan of the characters. He would only take a pic if his dad was holding him and he was on his dad's hip that was furthest away from said character. The background of this pic is the Sugar Loaf lounge. DD is holding her chocolate milk in the background.
DD and I at Chef Mickey's. I had lost 30 lbs. since the previous trip (partly thanks to a little storm called Katrina...we couldn't get restaurant food for months after that) and had gained maybe 10 or so back since then. That's pretty much where I've been on average ever since, barring when I was pg with Wee. Oh, a little note: Don't go to CM for the food. It's not that great. It's cool to see the Mickey and the others, but if you want a yummy buffet character meal, let me suggest 1900 Park Fare. Way better! And if you must see Mickey, try Garden Grill. I didn't love it, but it was way better than CM.
blessedmom4
WE BELIEVE IN MIRACLES!
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2010
- Messages
- 4,472
I loved all of the pictures and reminiscing! Your "fat" picture looks like me now...
Thanks for sharing your great memories, loved your souvenir!
Thanks for sharing your great memories, loved your souvenir! blessedmom4
WE BELIEVE IN MIRACLES!
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2010
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I KNEW it was a Beverly photo...the first time (and ONLY time I night add, I am a quick learner...others, not so much). I took a sip and nearly threw up, it tasted like vomit. I spent the next 15 minutes or so warning people NOT to drink the stuff,
so what do they do? Drink it of course, curiosity killed the cat and they all nearly died as well, at least their taste buds did! That was back when club cool was in the igloo looking place....My children LOVE to go in there and mix drinks together, I always stand around lamenting I can't get a free taste of diet coke, my beverage of choice!
matkensgirl2000
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2010
- Messages
- 189
I loved all of the pictures and reminiscing! Your "fat" picture looks like me now...
Thanks, BlessedMom4! I don't know if I would call myself "fat" in the picture, just bigger. Anyone would get a complex standing next to Ms. Skinny Minnie right there anyway. I do know I was out of shape by then though. I am sure you look GREAT!! Such a weight loss really says something about you. How long have you maintained it?
matkensgirl2000
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2010
- Messages
- 189
Before I share about my last two trips, I have some planning notes to share.
1) Operation: Disney Immersion is in full swing. So far my Bigs have watched Pinnochio, Finding Nemo and Bambi. I will be ordering Swiss Family Robinson from Netflix and a few others we don't have. I will also be replacing broken/scratched Disney DVDs through the DisneyDVD.com program for $7. I know our Robin Hood needs to be replaced and I'm sure a slew of others. For Easter, the kids will get their official Disney prep packets. It's a little bag filled with goodies for the trip and other Disney necessities, such as sunglasses. Also, a program for earning spending money is in place. Wee has spent nights on the computer with me, learning Disney characters. He for sure knows Goofy and I think he pretty much has Donald and Pluto down pat. We're still working on Minnie and Daisy. To him, it's just Mickey and Donald in skirts.
2.) I think Matt is seriously considering flying. He keeps talking about how it would save him 2 days and how much he hates the drive (it IS a boring drive). I have never booked for a family of 5 before, but I'm pretty sure the sooner you know, the better deal you get. I'm thinking if we do fly, we'll definitely be using ME, which means the day we would fly in (the 17th), I'd have to book a Disney hotel. I'm thinking an All-Star or POP. This would make our first morning much easier though, since we could get up in the morning and go straight to the parks and go directly to BC later that evening. Will Disney let us do that?
1) Operation: Disney Immersion is in full swing. So far my Bigs have watched Pinnochio, Finding Nemo and Bambi. I will be ordering Swiss Family Robinson from Netflix and a few others we don't have. I will also be replacing broken/scratched Disney DVDs through the DisneyDVD.com program for $7. I know our Robin Hood needs to be replaced and I'm sure a slew of others. For Easter, the kids will get their official Disney prep packets. It's a little bag filled with goodies for the trip and other Disney necessities, such as sunglasses. Also, a program for earning spending money is in place. Wee has spent nights on the computer with me, learning Disney characters. He for sure knows Goofy and I think he pretty much has Donald and Pluto down pat. We're still working on Minnie and Daisy. To him, it's just Mickey and Donald in skirts.
2.) I think Matt is seriously considering flying. He keeps talking about how it would save him 2 days and how much he hates the drive (it IS a boring drive). I have never booked for a family of 5 before, but I'm pretty sure the sooner you know, the better deal you get. I'm thinking if we do fly, we'll definitely be using ME, which means the day we would fly in (the 17th), I'd have to book a Disney hotel. I'm thinking an All-Star or POP. This would make our first morning much easier though, since we could get up in the morning and go straight to the parks and go directly to BC later that evening. Will Disney let us do that?
blessedmom4
WE BELIEVE IN MIRACLES!
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The "fat" in quotations was an attempt to say you were anything BUT fat! I don't look great yet...but I am working on it, definitely better than I was! I am about the size you were BEFORE you lost weight! I still have a ways to go...
But I WILL get there! Then the fun begins...staying there! 
matkensgirl2000
Mouseketeer
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- Mar 17, 2010
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The "fat" in quotations was an attempt to say you were anything BUT fat! I don't look great yet...but I am working on it, definitely better than I was! I am about the size you were BEFORE you lost weight! I still have a ways to go...
I knew you weren't saying I was fat. I just wanted to make sure that after all your weight loss, that you didn't consider yourself fat at that size. Girl, I lost 30 lbs. after two babies and I started out at that bigger size and I was REALLY pleased with how I looked at that later size. That's when my food obsession was replaced with a clothes obsession!! So you are in for some fun soon! How long has it taken you to get where you are?
matkensgirl2000
Mouseketeer
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Our 2008 trip was my gift for finishing up my bachelor's degree in college. The preceding year, we had been trying for a #3 and ended up losing 3 pregnancies, one in the 2nd trimester. After that last loss, we decided to take a break. To help me pull out of my depression, I decided I needed something to focus on and that focus was finishing my last year of college. I ended up graduating with High Honors in Economics. 1 week after I graduated, we took off. As I'm sure the Dis-ers can relate, I was more excited about my trip than graduating.
At the time, my sister was pg with her FIFTH kid. Her oldest two girls were 6 and 4/almost 5. Her youngest were boys, then 2 and 1. Which meant, if they were ever going, the cheapest time would be NOW!! Since she had 2 under 3, one of the boys could "stay" in our room and one would stay in hers, meaning we would all fit in Value resorts. So I called and offered to bring them. They eventually accepted. We paid for their hotel and tickets, they bought the dining plan, paid their gas and spending money. We were booked for POP. The 2 days before we left, my sister and I held a garage sale to earn some spending money. That was exhausting! I left for WDW with most of my garage sale leftovers still on my porch!
My kids knew we were going to Disney and her kids KNEW my kids were going to Disney. What they didn't know was that they (collectively known as the "Brynnkids") were going to Disney. My kids and I made a big deal about how we were going and made them sit through all kinds of videos about Disney and the rides and all that. So when we left on Sunday, they thought we were all taking a big road trip to TX. We got up the next morning and I turned on my camcorder (still the bulky one!) asking them where they were at, yada yada. Then, we made them close their eyes. We went to POP to check in (the kids stayed in the vehicles), then we rushed over to Whispering Canyon Cafe for our breakfast ADRs. The Brynnkids STILL had no clue.
So, after while we were waiting for our breakfast, I pulled out my camcorder and told them..."You know guys, we're not really in TX." Huh? "Aunt Matkensgirl is taking you to....DISNEYWORLD!!" Nothing. "Right now, YOU are sitting in a DISNEYWORLD restaurant." Nothing. Disbelief. Then, Brynnkid1 noticed the Mickey on the placemats. Then the Mickey waffles. As it sunk in, she started giggling and giggling. Here is a pic:
Brynnkid #2 on left, then DD (4/5), then Brynnkid#1, in the process of realizing where they were. My Bigs did such a good job of keeping it secret!
I have a few more from my 2008 trip, but I have an almost 2 year old boy pulling on me. He must need some attention!
At the time, my sister was pg with her FIFTH kid. Her oldest two girls were 6 and 4/almost 5. Her youngest were boys, then 2 and 1. Which meant, if they were ever going, the cheapest time would be NOW!! Since she had 2 under 3, one of the boys could "stay" in our room and one would stay in hers, meaning we would all fit in Value resorts. So I called and offered to bring them. They eventually accepted. We paid for their hotel and tickets, they bought the dining plan, paid their gas and spending money. We were booked for POP. The 2 days before we left, my sister and I held a garage sale to earn some spending money. That was exhausting! I left for WDW with most of my garage sale leftovers still on my porch!
My kids knew we were going to Disney and her kids KNEW my kids were going to Disney. What they didn't know was that they (collectively known as the "Brynnkids") were going to Disney. My kids and I made a big deal about how we were going and made them sit through all kinds of videos about Disney and the rides and all that. So when we left on Sunday, they thought we were all taking a big road trip to TX.
We got up the next morning and I turned on my camcorder (still the bulky one!) asking them where they were at, yada yada. Then, we made them close their eyes. We went to POP to check in (the kids stayed in the vehicles), then we rushed over to Whispering Canyon Cafe for our breakfast ADRs. The Brynnkids STILL had no clue.So, after while we were waiting for our breakfast, I pulled out my camcorder and told them..."You know guys, we're not really in TX." Huh? "Aunt Matkensgirl is taking you to....DISNEYWORLD!!" Nothing. "Right now, YOU are sitting in a DISNEYWORLD restaurant." Nothing. Disbelief. Then, Brynnkid1 noticed the Mickey on the placemats. Then the Mickey waffles. As it sunk in, she started giggling and giggling. Here is a pic:
Brynnkid #2 on left, then DD (4/5), then Brynnkid#1, in the process of realizing where they were. My Bigs did such a good job of keeping it secret!
I have a few more from my 2008 trip, but I have an almost 2 year old boy pulling on me. He must need some attention!
matkensgirl2000
Mouseketeer
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- Mar 17, 2010
- Messages
- 189
Continuing with our 2008 memories...
Here is my little crew at Whispering Canyon Cafe. We had a lot of fun there... if you have a good waiter that is a FUN place to eat! One of the kids asked for ketchup and they got ALL the ketchup in the restaurant.
Here is a picture of Brynnkid1 with the Fairy Godmother. We were in Tinker Bell's Treasures (behind the castle) and walked out and found FG at the exit. Brynnkid1 was crying because she had just gotten in trouble in the store, but she STILL wanted to get a pic with the Fair Godmother.
The next picture is of DD (4 almost 5) and DS (3 1/2) waiting at Ohana. This was before they got old enough to fight ALL the time. I remember we waited SO long for our table, even though we had ADRs. The kids were so tired after a long day at the parks...and there were 6 of them! But the waiting paid off because we were there for Wishes. And my sister LOVED it, especially a little concoction called a Lava Smoothie (non-alcoholic, of course).
Here are all the kids together waiting for It's Tough to Be a Bug. My kids are not entirely fond of this show, but I love it and I know as they get older, the bee "stinging" them in the back won't be so scary. That's part of the magic. And I love the pics with their bug glasses on. It must be a ridiculous sight to look into the audience of ITTBAB and see a bunch of crazy folks with huge bug eyeglasses!
Here is our first time to meet Cinderella. DD absolutely adored Cinderella and she has been trained by her father to believe that she is equally as princess-y as Cinderella. DD is wearing her brand-new Pocahontas costume. We brought her Cinderella dress, but it was way too wrinkled. We discussed how it must feel to Pocahontas that no one ever wants to wear HER dress-up. So DD went for it. But she HATED when all the CMs called her Pocahontas. Anyway, all three girls were mesmerized by all the Characters at Cinderella's Gala feast. We got the best table, right in the middle, next to the buffet. DS was still not feeling the characters. In fact, he hid under the table when any characters came to our table. Please note how my daughter is clinging to Cinderella like they are long lost pals who just met again. I LOVE IT!!
Another of my favorite moments was walking through World Showcase all by ourselves after a late dinner at Les Chefs. There was no one there and we let the baby run around freely. He was so happy to be running in the park after being confined to a stroller the entire time.
This was our first time to see Turtle Talk with Crush. If you've never been, they sit all the kids up front on the floor and the adults in the back on benches. This was a neat show, but MAKE SURE YOU INSTRUCT YOUR KIDS TO STAY SEATED UNTIL YOU COME AND GET THEM AFTER THE SHOW. We did tell the kids this, in fact we were very nervous about letting them sit up front without us. But my niece left with the crowd and my BIL had run all through the exit area looking for her. Thank goodness we found her.
And my most favorite part was our last day. We stayed an extra day longer than my sister's family and spent the day just doing what we wanted. We toured World Showcase and took a picture in every country. Then we went and discovered Boma and spent the evening in MK. It was SO, SO hot that day. The warmest it'd been since we had been there and it rained in MK during the fireworks. But it was fun to be just us and it was the only time we'd ever been there just as our little crew. I'm hoping to recreate that again on this trip
Here is my little crew at Whispering Canyon Cafe. We had a lot of fun there... if you have a good waiter that is a FUN place to eat! One of the kids asked for ketchup and they got ALL the ketchup in the restaurant.
Here is a picture of Brynnkid1 with the Fairy Godmother. We were in Tinker Bell's Treasures (behind the castle) and walked out and found FG at the exit. Brynnkid1 was crying because she had just gotten in trouble in the store, but she STILL wanted to get a pic with the Fair Godmother.
The next picture is of DD (4 almost 5) and DS (3 1/2) waiting at Ohana. This was before they got old enough to fight ALL the time. I remember we waited SO long for our table, even though we had ADRs. The kids were so tired after a long day at the parks...and there were 6 of them! But the waiting paid off because we were there for Wishes. And my sister LOVED it, especially a little concoction called a Lava Smoothie (non-alcoholic, of course).
Here are all the kids together waiting for It's Tough to Be a Bug. My kids are not entirely fond of this show, but I love it and I know as they get older, the bee "stinging" them in the back won't be so scary. That's part of the magic. And I love the pics with their bug glasses on. It must be a ridiculous sight to look into the audience of ITTBAB and see a bunch of crazy folks with huge bug eyeglasses!
Here is our first time to meet Cinderella. DD absolutely adored Cinderella and she has been trained by her father to believe that she is equally as princess-y as Cinderella. DD is wearing her brand-new Pocahontas costume. We brought her Cinderella dress, but it was way too wrinkled. We discussed how it must feel to Pocahontas that no one ever wants to wear HER dress-up. So DD went for it. But she HATED when all the CMs called her Pocahontas. Anyway, all three girls were mesmerized by all the Characters at Cinderella's Gala feast. We got the best table, right in the middle, next to the buffet. DS was still not feeling the characters. In fact, he hid under the table when any characters came to our table. Please note how my daughter is clinging to Cinderella like they are long lost pals who just met again. I LOVE IT!!
Another of my favorite moments was walking through World Showcase all by ourselves after a late dinner at Les Chefs. There was no one there and we let the baby run around freely. He was so happy to be running in the park after being confined to a stroller the entire time.
This was our first time to see Turtle Talk with Crush. If you've never been, they sit all the kids up front on the floor and the adults in the back on benches. This was a neat show, but MAKE SURE YOU INSTRUCT YOUR KIDS TO STAY SEATED UNTIL YOU COME AND GET THEM AFTER THE SHOW. We did tell the kids this, in fact we were very nervous about letting them sit up front without us. But my niece left with the crowd and my BIL had run all through the exit area looking for her. Thank goodness we found her.
And my most favorite part was our last day. We stayed an extra day longer than my sister's family and spent the day just doing what we wanted. We toured World Showcase and took a picture in every country. Then we went and discovered Boma and spent the evening in MK. It was SO, SO hot that day. The warmest it'd been since we had been there and it rained in MK during the fireworks. But it was fun to be just us and it was the only time we'd ever been there just as our little crew. I'm hoping to recreate that again on this trip
blessedmom4
WE BELIEVE IN MIRACLES!
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2010
- Messages
- 4,472
Oh good, I wouldn't want anyone to think I was calling them fat!
I started Easter 2010 (April 4), so I think I am doing pretty good...it has slowed down this past month; however, I am under tremendous stress at the moment with some medical issues. LOVE the photo memories.
matkensgirl2000
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2010
- Messages
- 189
Needless to say, after the 2008 trip, we were exhausted. I swore off Disney for at least 2 years. Even though WDW once again called my name in 2009, I couldn't go because I had something at home that gives me 1000x more thrills than Disney ever could:
The Wee man, born in March 2009. I love Disney, but I was more than happy to take a little jaunt to the beach that summer.
My cousin, A, and I have been talking for years about taking a trip to Disney together and we decided that 2010 was the year to do it. Her daughter was turning 3 that summer, so we decided to go before then so she would still be free. We also brought along my mom to help with the Wee. We stayed at POFQ. I had heard so many great things about it, but I must say, I was a little disappointed. I guess I had just built it up a little more in my mind. We did definitely enjoy the boat to DTD Disney and the kids liked the pool, but the rooms seemed like they needed freshening to me.
I loved showing my cousin everything, but she was pg for our trip and couldn't ride as many rides as she would have liked. I think I also made a few mistakes in overscheduling. Besides just scheduling my ADRs, we also booked BBB for my daughter and son and Wishes Dessert Buffet. My mom also met an old school friend in Orlando, so he and his family tagged along one day. It seemed like we didn't have a lot of time to just stop and enjoy. Add to that the needs of a 1-year-old and 2-year-old, it was a little stressed. But I still have some great memories:
We saved the baby's first haircut for Disney at the Harmony Barber Shop. Here's the before:
Here's the after:
For the record, they really know how to handle babies! He was so busy with stickers, he barely knew he was getting his haircut. And he got the confetti, his first pair of mouse ears and a certificate for his baby book. By the way, he HATES getting his hair cut now. I guess they just can't live up to his first experience.
We had a ton of fun eating...it is one of my cousin A's and my favorite things to do together. Unfortunately, A's girlie, N has a milk allergy and had to eat fruit salad while the other kids ice creamed and caked to their heart's content. At Ohana, the chef came out and talked to A about her dairy issues and said he'd see what he could do. Well, this is what he could do:
You should have seen her face!
The next pic is of the kids after BBB. DS got the "Cool Dude" hairstyle. For only around $10, he got to have a similar experience to his sister's and finally see the inside of the castle. DD picked out that hairdo and it was a consensus among the adults that we DID NOT like it on her. But we played along...I sensed it wasn't quite what she hoped it would be either. But she loved the experience...the attention, the nails, the makeup. They gave her a bag at the end filled with makeup, a crown, her sash and nail polish. Since N wasn't old enough to get her hair done yet (they only take 3 and up), DD gave her makeup and polish to her. I was so proud of her thoughtfulness!!
So all of this will affect how I plan my 2011 vacation. Though Disney has this creepy thing going on that allows you only to remember the good things and forget all the bad things. Will I be able to keep this vacation about the little moments? Will I be able to hold on to one of the last vacations where my kids are still babies?
The Wee man, born in March 2009. I love Disney, but I was more than happy to take a little jaunt to the beach that summer.
My cousin, A, and I have been talking for years about taking a trip to Disney together and we decided that 2010 was the year to do it. Her daughter was turning 3 that summer, so we decided to go before then so she would still be free. We also brought along my mom to help with the Wee. We stayed at POFQ. I had heard so many great things about it, but I must say, I was a little disappointed. I guess I had just built it up a little more in my mind. We did definitely enjoy the boat to DTD Disney and the kids liked the pool, but the rooms seemed like they needed freshening to me.
I loved showing my cousin everything, but she was pg for our trip and couldn't ride as many rides as she would have liked. I think I also made a few mistakes in overscheduling. Besides just scheduling my ADRs, we also booked BBB for my daughter and son and Wishes Dessert Buffet. My mom also met an old school friend in Orlando, so he and his family tagged along one day. It seemed like we didn't have a lot of time to just stop and enjoy. Add to that the needs of a 1-year-old and 2-year-old, it was a little stressed. But I still have some great memories:
We saved the baby's first haircut for Disney at the Harmony Barber Shop. Here's the before:
Here's the after:
For the record, they really know how to handle babies! He was so busy with stickers, he barely knew he was getting his haircut. And he got the confetti, his first pair of mouse ears and a certificate for his baby book. By the way, he HATES getting his hair cut now. I guess they just can't live up to his first experience.
We had a ton of fun eating...it is one of my cousin A's and my favorite things to do together. Unfortunately, A's girlie, N has a milk allergy and had to eat fruit salad while the other kids ice creamed and caked to their heart's content. At Ohana, the chef came out and talked to A about her dairy issues and said he'd see what he could do. Well, this is what he could do:
You should have seen her face!
The next pic is of the kids after BBB. DS got the "Cool Dude" hairstyle. For only around $10, he got to have a similar experience to his sister's and finally see the inside of the castle. DD picked out that hairdo and it was a consensus among the adults that we DID NOT like it on her. But we played along...I sensed it wasn't quite what she hoped it would be either. But she loved the experience...the attention, the nails, the makeup. They gave her a bag at the end filled with makeup, a crown, her sash and nail polish. Since N wasn't old enough to get her hair done yet (they only take 3 and up), DD gave her makeup and polish to her. I was so proud of her thoughtfulness!!
So all of this will affect how I plan my 2011 vacation. Though Disney has this creepy thing going on that allows you only to remember the good things and forget all the bad things. Will I be able to keep this vacation about the little moments? Will I be able to hold on to one of the last vacations where my kids are still babies?
blessedmom4
WE BELIEVE IN MIRACLES!
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2010
- Messages
- 4,472
AWESOME Memories! LOVE the haircut and the makeovers!!! 
matkensgirl2000
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2010
- Messages
- 189
No kidding! Especially when half the fun is in the planning!
AWESOME Memories! LOVE the haircut and the makeovers!!!
Thank you, BlessedMom. They were definitely special experiences and it's a great way to go inside the castle without paying through the nose for CRT. It was so hard to get used to Wee without his shaggy curls
I was looking at your PTR...I hope you get your dates soon. My nephew, whom we took in 2008 has a CHD. He's had 2 open heart surgeries and several stint procedures.
matkensgirl2000
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2010
- Messages
- 189
I will be paying most of our vacation off soon, thanks to the (surprising!) promptness of Uncle Sam. Yay!
We have decided to go ahead and drive, barring some crazy cheap airfare showing up in my inbox. This means quite a bit for me, planning wise:
1) The vehicle (sigh...ok, ok, it's a minivan
) must be spotless and up to par maintenance-wise. Luckily, we just put on new tires and got alignments and all that jazz and a tune-up. I almost had a coronary the other day when I went to turn on the a/c (yes, it's hot enough for that in the South already! Don't hate!) and it WOULD NOT BLOW COLD. No a/c in May during an 9 hour drive to FL is not gonna happen, but if it's broke, that cuts into my WDW money depending on the severity of the situation. Thankfully, DH explained to me that since it's the first time I used the a/c since November that the controls are probably a little rusty. He had me fiddle with the fan for a bit and TADA!! It worked perfectly and I haven't had any trouble since. Whew!!
It will also need the cleaning of it's lifetime
, which means Mama crawls into the backseat with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. I'm sure many of you are all too familiar with the backseat of a minivan. It's scary. Just scary. I'm sure a whole bottle of Windex will be used, a butterknife will be needed and the Mr. Clean Eraser will be a shadow of its former self by the time I'm through. But then I'll get to go through the drive-through car wash, which I take a childish delight in doing even though I'm 30.
2) I'll need to book an inexpensive hotel for our first night in Orlando. We usually book through Priceline or Expedia. We've been pleased with everything we've booked thus far...Comfort Inn, Lake Buena Vista Resort and a La Quinta, I think. It doesn't really matter, because we'll be getting in late and leaving early. As long as it has a clean bed and bathroom, we'll be happy. In the past we've gotten there early enough to swim and have a nice dinner but DS's kindergarten graduation
is the day we leave...we'll be leaving immediately after that. I'm not sure of the time, but I think we might be on the road by 10 am CST, meaning we'll be in Orlando by 9 EST, accounting for stops and the lovely one hour loss we get just for crossing a bridge in Florida
3) I'll have to pack my Official Disney World Travel Bag for the kids. I've done this every year since we've had kids. It's a bag filled with books, drawing pads, coloring books, games, DVDs and snacks. Clearly, the DS will be involved as well (I must admit, I enjoy playing video games and since I will be in the front where I can't watch the movies, I'll probably be on the DS). Santa brought MP3 players for the Bigs, so they will have them to listen to as well. The wonderful thing about the minivan is that it has a DVD player. So we'll watch Disney movies all the way down. And of course, everything has a Disney tie-in. This is a lot of fun for me and likely the Easter Bunny will bringing most of the items for their bags. Since Wee is old enough to get some fun out of it this year, it will extra fun to pack his bag (no bottles to pack, either!).
4) I'll pack food to bring along so we can save time. We'll probably have sandwiches and I'll pack them in brownbags which we'll decorate ahead of time.
Okay, that's it for the motor edition of my PTR! I still have some things I need to be working on now, so I'll update with that soon.
We have decided to go ahead and drive, barring some crazy cheap airfare showing up in my inbox. This means quite a bit for me, planning wise:
1) The vehicle (sigh...ok, ok, it's a minivan
) must be spotless and up to par maintenance-wise. Luckily, we just put on new tires and got alignments and all that jazz and a tune-up. I almost had a coronary the other day when I went to turn on the a/c (yes, it's hot enough for that in the South already! Don't hate!) and it WOULD NOT BLOW COLD. No a/c in May during an 9 hour drive to FL is not gonna happen, but if it's broke, that cuts into my WDW money depending on the severity of the situation. Thankfully, DH explained to me that since it's the first time I used the a/c since November that the controls are probably a little rusty. He had me fiddle with the fan for a bit and TADA!! It worked perfectly and I haven't had any trouble since. Whew!!It will also need the cleaning of it's lifetime
, which means Mama crawls into the backseat with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. I'm sure many of you are all too familiar with the backseat of a minivan. It's scary. Just scary. I'm sure a whole bottle of Windex will be used, a butterknife will be needed and the Mr. Clean Eraser will be a shadow of its former self by the time I'm through. But then I'll get to go through the drive-through car wash, which I take a childish delight in doing even though I'm 30.2) I'll need to book an inexpensive hotel for our first night in Orlando. We usually book through Priceline or Expedia. We've been pleased with everything we've booked thus far...Comfort Inn, Lake Buena Vista Resort and a La Quinta, I think. It doesn't really matter, because we'll be getting in late and leaving early. As long as it has a clean bed and bathroom, we'll be happy. In the past we've gotten there early enough to swim and have a nice dinner but DS's kindergarten graduation
is the day we leave...we'll be leaving immediately after that. I'm not sure of the time, but I think we might be on the road by 10 am CST, meaning we'll be in Orlando by 9 EST, accounting for stops and the lovely one hour loss we get just for crossing a bridge in Florida3) I'll have to pack my Official Disney World Travel Bag for the kids. I've done this every year since we've had kids. It's a bag filled with books, drawing pads, coloring books, games, DVDs and snacks. Clearly, the DS will be involved as well (I must admit, I enjoy playing video games and since I will be in the front where I can't watch the movies, I'll probably be on the DS). Santa brought MP3 players for the Bigs, so they will have them to listen to as well. The wonderful thing about the minivan
is that it has a DVD player. So we'll watch Disney movies all the way down. And of course, everything has a Disney tie-in. This is a lot of fun for me and likely the Easter Bunny will bringing most of the items for their bags. Since Wee is old enough to get some fun out of it this year, it will extra fun to pack his bag (no bottles to pack, either!).4) I'll pack food to bring along so we can save time. We'll probably have sandwiches and I'll pack them in brownbags which we'll decorate ahead of time.
Okay, that's it for the motor edition of my PTR! I still have some things I need to be working on now, so I'll update with that soon.
blessedmom4
WE BELIEVE IN MIRACLES!
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2010
- Messages
- 4,472
No kidding! Especially when half the fun is in the planning!
I agree.
Thank you, BlessedMom. They were definitely special experiences and it's a great way to go inside the castle without paying through the nose for CRT. It was so hard to get used to Wee without his shaggy curls
I was looking at your PTR...I hope you get your dates soon. My nephew, whom we took in 2008 has a CHD. He's had 2 open heart surgeries and several stint procedures.
I am looking forward to having dates! How is your nephew doing? It truly IS amazing how they affect each person differently...and yet, so similar in many cases.
Your road trip plans sound like ours...
just thinking about it...but YOUR reward is DISNEY! 
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