OT--our next trip to WDW?

[Eilonwy]

I just got off the phone with my mom (yes, I call her every morning), and she mentioned that my brother has to think about the next trips to WDW since he has to bank some DVC points.

Since we're expecting Baby #2 this year, and DS will no longer be "free" (turns 3 in March), we've decided to pass on this year. But they (my 2 brothers and my parents) are still planning to go in December 2004. Since they'll only need a studio, my brother has enough points for a Grand Villa at OKW the following year!! Woohoo! If we can get it, of course. So looks like our next trip will be December 2005. (Of course this means DH and I get "downgraded" from the Master Suite in the 2-bedroom we had this trip to the 2-Queen room in the Grand Villa now that we'll be a "Family of 4." Guess I'll manage to adjust somehow. LOL!)

I know it sounds like a long way off, but it gives me plenty of time to save, save save! And plan, plan, plan. We made some mistakes this year, that I hope NOT to repeat.

 

[DisneyFan0304]

I know what you mean about saving, saving, saving and planning, planning, planning. I had to cancel our trip this past December, so now I'm going to start planning a trip for this December. I can't wait!!!

What mistakes did you make this year that you don't want to repeat?

 

[Eilonwy]

Originally posted by DisneyFan0304
What mistakes did you make this year that you don't want to repeat?

The big one was going to the MK on a Saturday. I knew it was a bad idea, and I won't go into why we tried to do it (it's a long, involved "family" issue).

The other was not going off sooner to do what _I_ wanted instead of waiting around for everyone else that wanted to do the "thrill" rides at EPCOT (being 5.5 months pg I couldn't participate, and I should have just headed to World Showcase and saw the story tellers in each country--I only got to see 3 of them). Again, more of a "family" issue. I had been saying for weeks that I wanted to do all the "Holiday" stuff that you can't do at other times of the year (like the story tellers and resort entertainment), but once we met up with my cousin and her family, it seemed to be all about what her kids (who are around 6 and 8) wanted to do--which was ride rides with my brothers or Evan--or what my mother thought they should be doing. At least that's how it felt to me, and if I said anything, I was the "bad guy." I'm not saying my cousin's kids shouldn't get to do what they want, but Evan could almost care less what he does at this age, so trying to get onto rides with him shouldn't have been as much a priority. He was happiest at Playhouse Disney, but I don't think anyone else enjoyed it as much as him. And Evan's still too young for Fantasyland. Okay, I'll stop with my family troubles. Let's just say it wasn't the relaxing Holiday trip I had planned and hoped for.

 

[DisneyFan0304]

Sorry you didn't get to do all you wanted to. I know how frustrating that can be.

We did a big family trip a couple of years ago and everyone left me in charge of planning the whole thing, which was fine. I really didn't mind. But I figured we'd spend the mornings together and have 1 meal together as a group each day and then split up for the rest of the day. Well, they all decided they all wanted to stay together for the whole day, every day!! So now we're going through the parks with a group of between 13 and 20 people and trying to see as much as possible. What got really frustrating was snacks. Someone would decide they wanted a snack so we'd all have to stop to wait for them to finish whatever they were eating. Well, Person A would just about be done with their snack and Person B would decide they wanted a snack. So we'd all have to wait for Person B to finish. Person B would just about be done and Person C would decide they had to use the bathroom!!! So what should have taken 10 minutes wound up taking forever. I already warned them if we do it again, I'm going to schedule in snack and bathroom stops. Anyone who doesn't want to or need to have a snack or use the bathroom at the scheduled time can either miss whatever we're going to do or wait until the next scheduled stop.

My mother, sister-in-law and I had wanted to see the storytellers in Epcot, too, and we didn't get to. So I'm planning a trip for this year with Mom and we're going to be sure to do all the holiday stuff we've missed on other trips. It's very frustrating to go to all the time and expense to plan a trip to WDW, wait anxiously for it and then have it be over and feel like it wasn't what you wanted.

Have fun planning your next trip. Hopefully it will work out better for you.

 

[Beanie]

Sorry you had some mistakes during your last trip! Hopefully it all works out and you are able to go!

We are shooting for April this year and then again in December we are going for a week!

 

[Ohanamom]

sorry it wasn't as magical as you had hoped for.

We did MK on Tues (Dec. 9th) and it wasn't busy at all. Walked right on to every ride with hardly any wait. Mainly I think due in part to the fact that MVMCP was that night. As it was we could have stayed at the party because by the time we got out of dinner at Cindy's it was 7:30 but we had been in the park since 9am and everyone was exhausted.

And I know what you mean about not getting time to see what you really wanted to see. DH always says we run too much for being on "vacation" so this time around I told him "fine, you sleep in in the morning and I will go to the park for EE (cause I am the trill ride seeker) and then I will come back to the room at 9 and we will have breakfast." Well as it turned out he woke up and got ready to go early every morning. He can't whine because I gave him the opportunity...LOL
But all this is solved by going on the Disney cruise. He will get all the rest and relaxation he wants. This will be our second time and we have choosen to stay on board when the ship docks in the Bahamas. I was not overly impressed (that and the fact that everyone stopped me asking if I would like my hair braided since it is all the way down my back)

I can say one thing though, I really did enjoy the whole festive feel of going in December (along with really enjoyong staying at OKW-we were in building 29) that I am most certainly planning our next trip around that time. Hopefully next time around we will finally get to see Fantasmic and Wishes.

Congrats on the new addition Sue!

 

[Eilonwy]

It wasn't all bad. The beginning of the trip was better than the end, partly because there were only the 7 of us at the beginning, I think. 11 people is just too many. Which is weird, because once when growing up we had 12 and that seemed like a good number (you could split up 2, 3, 4, or 6 for most rides). But that was also back when there was only the MK and you still spent a week there.

The room at OKW was fantastic! And I think we are now spoiled for all future trips! Evan loved the island in the kitchen/livingroom. Or should I say, he loved running laps around it. Weeks after we were home, I pulled out some animal crackers I had left from the trip, and Evan said "Like 50-30." 5030 was our room number, and my silly 2.5 year old remembers! Every morning Evan would wake up, say "Where's Gammy?" and walk down the hall to find my mother. Of course now he always wants to go to Grammy's house or go somewhere. I think he's gotten use to travelling. LOL!

My mother wants to spend less time in the parks next time around, and more time just relaxing or doing whatever. Of course I try to bring up that we could do that at places that are less expensive than WDW, but that seems to fall on deaf ears.

Oh, Ohanamom, our night for MVMCP was the 9th. We didn't stay too long (DH, Evan, and I were out by 10pm or so--my family stayed until closing). But we still got to see a couple shows, Country Bear and Goofy's Dance Party (or whatever that's called). Our big problem there was we wanted to do Country Bear and got stuck on the other side of the parade route and had to wait until it was over. But that also meant we got to see Santa go by. And we saw Wishes while we were there. We got our pic taken in Tomorrowland and the line wasn't bad. The line for pics at Small World was unbelievable! Glad we got them when we did. If I can remember where I put our pic, maybe I'll get around to scanning it in.

 

[Ohanamom]

We most certainly became spoiled with the one bedroom at OKW. My kids are 6 and 9 and their favorites about the room were the tv in the living room(so they could watch what they wanted to) and the whirlpool tub in the bathroom. I didnt even get to enjoy that.
I did tell DH though that our next stove is going to be one of those GE's like in the room. The oven is a convection oven and the morning we made rolls they were done so quick.

Sounds like you were still able to salvage some magic. Its hard being pregnant while trying to do all that running around too. I remember those days....

Time will fly to your next trip!