Our 10 day DREAM, turned into an 8 day nightmare - April/May 2012 *pic's added*

[figmentswife]

It's is July and I am JUST NOW getting around to making our nightmare report ....I mean trip report. I will start at the beginning. DH, DD10, and I went to Disney Last October (2011) It was our first Disney trip in 4 years and it was also a celebration of health for my DH and a birthday celebration for DD (she turned 10 AT Disney) After years of health struggles for DH - I decided that we needed to celebrate his good health over the past 8 months and GO TO DISNEY!!!!! We also have a 17 year old son who did not want to go (what is wrong with him, who doesn't want to go to Disney???) Anyways, we decided to go for DD's birthday. It was the best trip ever!!!! we had a blast and started planning our next trip while on the way home.

Fast forward............We plan our next trip for October 2012. We started planning, but didn't make any reservations. Then our school system started making some changes and we decided to change DD's school to traditional schedule for next school year, so we had to move the trip to April 2012, her last track out ever. We were excited to go sooner, and called our travel agent and started making plans.

I had been talking to a friend about our trip, and she talked about how she wished she could take her DD to Disney, but couldn't afford it. We talked more about it, and I found out that her father has a time share near Disney - so FREE lodging, and she could drive her own car - so cheap travel, and then I started thinking in my head - well their tickets would only be a few hundred, maybe we could help. I did NOT say anything her my friend about it, but did go home and talk to DH and he said "sure, let's buy them tickets" So I presented it to my friend, she was very grateful, however didn't want us to spend that kind of money. We talked to her a few times and talked about how much fun it would be for us and for the girls and how awesome it would be, and how it was more for us then for her because we would love to see her DD look at the Castle for the first time.......you get the picture.

Well, she finally said yes, and we started making the plans. She will only be going to Disney 4 days.

 

[figmentswife]

So now that we know who is going - Me, DH, DD10 and Friend(Jenny) and her DD 9 (Jordan).......

The panning begins. DH and I had talked about a DREAM trip of 10-14 days. I really wanted to go for 14, but DH couldn't take 2 weeks back to back, so we decided on 10 days. That is 10 days in the parks, 2 days travel so total of 12 days. We had stayed at POP Century in October and LOVED it, so we decided 10 days at POP again. Friend is staying off site in a time share.

So here is where we are in the planning

Leaving Friday, April 27 - head home Tuesday, May 8.

OH THE EXCITEMENT!!!!!

I start making our plans, what park what day, where to eat, what to take friend to see.......What shirts to make, making the girls travel bags. The planning gets out of control, but I love it.

 

[figmentswife]

So a BIG part of my planning takes place in the making of the shirts. I found the Creative Board about a month before our last trip and fell in love with the idea of wearing matching shirts, and I rushed to get things made in time for our last trip, and I was NOT going to get stuck doing all that work at the last minute again, so the first thing I started was making our shirts.

I stalked the very sweet and giving people over in the Creative board and found the 12 designs I wanted and sent all of my request, and then went to AC Moore and got the shirts.....Then I had to stop to think about the days we would be wearing them....I couldn't wear a Monsters Inc shirt to Epcot, when they are at Hollywood Studios. So back to the planning.

Now I start looking at how many days in each park and how many times and what days crowds look better.....STRESSFUL, but a good stressful.

So here was the plan.

Friday, April 27 - Travel

Sat. April 28 - Animal Kingdom (with friends) (Dinner at Swan)

Sun. April 29 Hollywood Studios (with friends)

Mon. - April 30-Epcot

Tues - May 1 - Magic Kingdom

Wed. May 2 - Magic Kingdom (with friends) Girls Hair 11am, Wishes Dessert Party)

Thurs - May 3 - Epcot (with friends)

Fri - May 4 - Magic Kingdom

Sat - May 5 - Animal Kingdom

Sun - May 6 - Hollywood Studio

Mon. May 7 - Epcot

Tues - May 8 Head Home

So I look at these days to decided what shirts to make. I re-start the shirt planning/Making process.

 

[figmentswife]

I have been having some stomach issues for a few years, so after many visits and much delay My Dr. decides to test me for celiac disease. Long story short - I got sick w few days before testing then went gluten free and testing is not worth the cost if you don't have gluten in your system. However after 4 days of being gluten free - I feel AMAZING!!!! Dr. says "well there is your test" no more gluten for you.

I am so happy about feeling so good....until I realize I am going Disney. How in the world I am going to be able to eat gluten free at Disney. So I start researching gluten allergy and food I can and can't have and how to start my new life gluten free, all the time freaking out I will not be able to eat on my vacation. Then one day I decided to look into eating gluten free at Disney. HELLO DISboards!!!!!! There are other people who can't eat gluten AND they talk about it. I start writing about my fears and concerns and within 2 hours I have tons of private messages about where and what I can eat. The help was AMAZING!!!!!! I started to feel much better about it.
So now to make something else - Cheat cards to take into the parks with gluten free options. CHECK!!!
I also sent an email to my travel agent and she called and talked to the chef at POP and was assured that I would eat better then Minnie.

 

[disney1990]

Sounds pretty normal so far.

 

[figmentswife]

Yes, but we have not gotten there yet.

 

[justakrazymom]

I'm in!

 

[figmentswife]

In all this planning and getting ready my friend calls and tells me that she has decided to see some friends while in Florida so she will only want to go to Disney for 1 maybe 2 days now.......I am like WHAT!!!!! but whatever, I can go with the flow. DH and I decide to NOT buy her tickets until the day before we leave just to be sure.

About a month before we leave a few things start to happen.

A new job opportunity arises. I interview, they offer, I accept. I have a new job. How exciting!!!!

Also, My brother and SIL are expecting twins - Due end of April.

My tummy troubles are better but NOT what they should be to travel - this scares me a little.

APRIL 2012 -

Friend says they can go to the parks with us 4 days, but we have to rearrange all the day plans to make this work so that they do not double up on any parks as they only have 4 days.

I start the new job, tons of work, but I am enjoying it. It's a good thing I already made my shirts and stuff b\c I am so busy I couldn't have gotten it done.

Diet changes are making me feel better in general but still having some issues - and having to go back and forth to the Dr. is getting old.

My BFF's daughter runs away - police get involved we have to hunt her down - UGGGG!!!!


DRAMA, DRAMA, DRAMA around here. I can't wait to go to Disney and get a break from real life.

Day before Disney - pick up rental car, pack rental car try to sleep - SOOOOOO EXCITED!!!!!!!

 

[figmentswife]

Disney DAY!!!!!!!

I get up around 3:00am - I get DH and DD up a few minutes later and by 3:30am we are on the road.

Trip is fun and uneventful - THANK GOODNESS!

I decided to not eat so that I don't have any issues on the road - this ends up working out well.

We are calling back and forth to our friend and her DD the whole way. They arrive around 11:30 am, and w arrive on Disney Property around 1:30pm.

Friend and DD come over to hang at POP with us, and swim and get into the Disney magic.

 

[HeadintheClouds]

It's good so far! Sorry you had such a bad time though. :-(

 

[figmentswife]

We get up and get ready, then head to breakfast before the crowd does.

Get back to the room around 7:15am. I start to have tummy issues. But I am ok, and at 8am we head to the bus - we are Park opening people.

My friend and her DD are there and we start the day with pictures and looking around and all the dun Disney stuff you can see outside of the park (before opening) I start to have tummy issues AGAIN!!!!! But I am ok.

We head into the park , soft opening getting stopped at the Tree Of Life, we decide to get photopass pictures - they take a couple of different positions and they girls are loving it. Then this women RAMS into me with her stroller - never a word, no I'm sorry, screw you...nothing, she just rammed into me and kept walking. (I am already not feeling great so this just irritates me a little further)
I said something like "really, slow down" then her husband yells at me " thenn you shouldn't be standing in the middle of the walkway" - I thought I was going to FREAK OUT!!!!! Remember, I am not feeling good, and the park is NOT EVEN OPEN YET - we are ALL stopped at the same place.

I decided I am not going to let some grumpy family mess with me - I am at Disney!!!

We go and do about 3/4 of the park - before 12am - we are going back and forth everywhere. I want to make sure that friend and DD get to do everything or at least as much as possible.

We decide to go back to POP for lunch and a break. The Chef's at POP have been so wonderful about my food. I can not say enough about how well I was treated in regards to my gluten free diet -

So, we go back to POP, we eat then decide to take the girls to the pool. We have lunch and change and go to the pool then I start feeling a little bad, so I go back to the room to rest before we go back to Animal Kingdom.

An hour later I am still not feeling great, but I am at Disney so I will suck it up!

We go back and finish a few things we didn't get to do earlier in the day - one of them being the Yeti (not me, I don't ride big rides - yep, I am chicken and I am ok with it) - so first thing we head over to the Yeti ride and NO ONE is in line - SCORE!!!! The girls are so happy, then a CM tells them that the ride is broken down - the girls are upset, but we say we will walk around and come back - then as we start walking my friends DD starts to throw a HISSY FIT - I mean, all out, hissy fit she has lost her mind. I am thinking, if she were mine I would have slapped her by now, but she is not, so I can't do that. They go their way, we go back to POP.

After getting back to POP I decided that I can't have another day like this one with the belly issues and I call my Dr. and talk to her. I explain what has been going on with my tummy and that I am at Disney and I can't enjoy my vacation like this - she calls in some med's to get me through the week (I hope) and then I head to get them and then off to bed

 

[CatNipRules]

Joining in! So sorry about your tummy issues. My BFF has celiac's disease and she is constantly struggling with it.

*hugs*

And for what it's worth, it is hard traveling with other people. It's one of the reasons that DH and I only go by ourselves on vacation. We are too fussy about it.....

 

[Wills Mom]

Sounds ok so far! Good on you for not freaking out at that woman with the stroller!

 

[luckylady]

OH I can't believe there isn't more. Sorry just have to know Im nosy that way when it come to going with friends. Ya it's something we have done and won't do again since they spoiled the trip for us. I'm sorry that you had tummy trouble and hope it isn't IBS. Can't wait to read about day two.

 

[figmentswife]

OH I can't believe there isn't more. Sorry just have to know Im nosy that way when it come to going with friends. Ya it's something we have done and won't do again since they spoiled the trip for us. I'm sorry that you had tummy trouble and hope it isn't IBS. Can't wait to read about day two.

There is more, I am trying to type everything into word first b\c it started signing me out on the last long post. Maybe day 3 will be posted tonight - it all goes downhill from from here......and I agree, I will NOT go with a friend again. Hint - our children who used to play together every day, don't speak anymore.


(and on the tummy stuff - there will be more on this also, but it is not IBS, nor did it get better while at Disney)

 

[lilmissie]

Joining in as I'm curious to read what happens

 

[figmentswife]

Sun, April 29th
Magic Kingdom
Original Plan was Magic Kingdom Wed, had booked girls getting hair done, and Wishes Dessert Party.

On Sat – Jenny tells me that they are changing their plans a little and that they are going to leave at lunch time Fri. That was their Magic Kingdom day. EVERYONE knows you can’t do Magic Kingdom in ½ day so I have to start looking at crowd calendars and such to change parks. So we decided to change Magic Kingdom day to Sunday. I have to call Disney and my Travel Agent to make the changes – o.k. pain in my butt, but I get it done. (can you tell I am starting to get a little fed up with my friend ???)

For weeks before going, Jordan (friends DD) has watched every Disney park show on Netflix and talked about nothing but the Castle at Magic Kingdom. DH and I can’t wait to see her face when she sees the Castle for the first time, it really is breathtaking and needs to be taken in. The Castle IS Disney – it is what every child who thinks of Disney thinks of when you tell them they are going to Disney….Anyways, we make our way into Magic Kingdom, around to the right and get to the beginning of Main Street I stop Jordan and say “there it is, the Castle” she is like “cool” and keep on going….WHAT????? No tears, no this is awesome, NOTHING!!!!! O.K. time to head to Splash Mountain (our favorite) we ride back to back 4 times (this is why we go right to it first thing in the morning) then we head over to the Haunted Mansion, then over to Tomorrow Land for Buzz & Space Mountain, then we dash over to Pirates, then Jungle Cruise then back to Splash Mountain. It’s has been a long morning, the girls are doing ok, but DD is sticking close to me for some reason, she is a momma’s girl, but I realy thought she would want to walk with her friends at Disney. We go over to Cosmic Rays for lunch, we eat, then it’s time for dessert and then to get going. As we are eating our dessert, Jordan starts in AGAIN, about her not getting to ride the Yeti ride. She keeps going and going, and going, then she must have worked herself up cause she lost her freaking MIND!!!!! She starts crying, and screaming at her mother. I wanted to slap her across the face with the way she is acting, but I know she is hot, and tired and her feet have GOT to hurt. We had done a lot today. We all decided to go back to our resorts and rest for a little while, then come back tonight for Wishes fireworks.
We all go back to our resorts and rest, then meet back up after dinner at Magic Kingdom to do a couple of things then watch Wishes.
(Maybe I should have stated at the start that my DD saved her money for months and my parents gave her some money and she ended up with about 3 times the spending money that Jordan had)
So we go to shop and DD gets a couple of things she wanted, all the time Jordan right behind her, but I can’t hear her. We get done shopping and head over to get a table on the terrace near where the dessert party is (but not the dessert party) I don’t know what this area is called, anyways; we get there about 45 minutes before the light show and settle in. While we are sitting there Jordan keep going over to DD and saying stuff in a low voice, finally DD comes and sits beside me and wants nothing to do with Jordan…whatever! The light’s go out and the light show starts and the floats start going by, and we can see them but not the best view, well Jordan lost her mind about this, Jenny takes her closer and we stay where we are, cause we don’t are, we are coming back 2 more times. Then they come back for Memories on the Castle. Jordan sits right behind a big tree – and can’t see the castle……..and Guess what????? YEP, she losses her mind again, screaming, crying. I really want to slap her. But I don’t. Jenny takes her over to the other side so she can see, then the fireworks start and they are wonderful, however Tinkerbelle didn’t come out (there was a storm headed our way) After the fireworks DD decides she wants some popcorn, so we head our way to get some on the way out, and Jordan freaks out AGAIN b\c DD is getting something she isn’t getting.

At this point, I have no sympathy, I did at and I bought her stuff and made sure she got ice cream and desserts when DD got them, but now, after her mother has told her over and over again, spend your own money, you have spending money and all of the hissy fits she has had, I am over it, and she is not my kid, so her mother can deal with her. Jenny knew before we left and we talked about this stuff….She knew how much money DD had to spend she knew we had the dining plan and what that meant (we get desserts) and she LET her child give me and my child a hard time every time we spent OUR OWN MONEY!!!!! Well I was not going to let her make me feel bad about his anymore. I may not flaunt it in her face, as we can come back and get stuff later but I am not going to not get something just so that she doesn’t feel bad.


Tomorrow – Epcot

 

[scottmel]

ugh...I am so sorry about that "friend" and your stomach issues to which I am going to PM you on! thanks

 

[joleen76]

Oh my....I can relate to a friend like that. Things just build until you just have to let them out! You have been great about holding it together so far.

Tummy troubles on top of everything else. Here's hoping to your Disney days without the "friends" being better than these two with them.

 

[luckylady]

There is more, I am trying to type everything into word first b\c it started signing me out on the last long post. Maybe day 3 will be posted tonight - it all goes downhill from from here......and I agree, I will NOT go with a friend again. Hint - our children who used to play together every day, don't speak anymore.


(and on the tummy stuff - there will be more on this also, but it is not IBS, nor did it get better while at Disney)

Not surprissed. We don't talk to the friend who invited herself on our trip either. Won't go with family again either. Glad to hear it's not IBS...no fun there.