Debz
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Aug 18, 1999
- Messages
- 25
Cast of characters:
DH just turned 40, loves Disney, leaves the planning to me.
Me, DW 36, Disney fanatic, obsessive planner... must have magic every moment!
Hotels: The Beach Club/ Polynesian
I have to begin this report by reflecting back to last years vacation, or should I say the vacation that didnt happen. We planned a very special trip for Sept. of last year. My husbands brother bought a house in Jacksonville and we planned on visiting with them before going to Disney. My husbands mom and dad were meeting us in Orlando and we were going to drive up to Jax. for a few nights and then we were all going to Orlando together. It was an extra special trip because my FIL hadnt flown in about 20 years and flat out refused to ever fly up to this point. He agreed to do this because he wanted to see his sons new home. We were hopeful that this would be the start of his frequent flyer miles! They live in Cleveland and we live in Boston so its tough for all of us to get together.
My husband and I flew into Orlando on Sept. 8th and spent one night at Portofino Bay. My husbands a travel agent and got free tickets to Universal Studios for helping to sell US at a vacation expo so we decided to use them on this trip. We were dying to see Portofino anyway. My MIL and FIL werent flying in until Sept. 9th so it was a perfect time to check out Portofino and go to US. We really loved Portofino. They upgraded us to a suite (travel agent perk). The room was beautiful and it overlooked the bay. The pool is great (zero entry). I would definitely stay there again.
My in-laws arrived on 9/9. I was so afraid that my FIL would change his mind at the last minute and not board the plane, but I was happily wrong. He got off that plane with a big smile on his face. We were so proud of him! They thankfully had a smooth flight. Things were looking up.
We drove up to Jax and spent 2 wonderful days exploring the city and St. Augustines. We were scheduled to check into the Dolphin Hotel on Sept. 12th. Then 9/11 came and the unthinkable. Us girls were on our way to the outlet mall, while the guys were on the golf course when we got the call. We never turned on the TV so we didnt know what had happened. I wont go into the emotions we felt that day. Needless to say, nobody felt like continuing our vacation. We just wanted to go home safely and mourn with the rest of the country.
We werent sure how long Logan would be closed and none of us felt like getting back on a plane so we decided to drive home the next day. We had to drop MIL and FIL off at home in Ohio along the way. We drove for 4 days, and got home safely. It was a horrific week, one Ill never forget. Unfortunately, I dont think my FIL will ever fly again. My husbands dream of a family vacation at WDW will probably never happen.
Ok, my obsessive planning for this years trip began about 1 month after we got home. My husband was turning 40 in Sept. 2002 so I wanted to make this trip as special as I could. We decided to go deluxe all the way. Being a travel agent definitely has its perks, as we were able to get great discounts at the deluxe hotels so we decided on the Beach Club because of the easy access to Epcot. We like to spend the evenings at Epcot and walk back to our hotel. Another deciding factor is that I love my pool time and couldnt wait to swim in Stormalong Bay. We also decided to visit with BIL and SIL in Jax again for a few days. They used to live in Boston and we miss them a lot. They were planning on coming to Orlando with us for a day to do some park hopping. So the plan was in place. Two days in Jax and a week at the Beach Club.
We were then blessed with some good fortune. My husband won a prize at work, a 2-day all-inclusive WDW vacation! We couldnt believe our luck and the timing of the prize. We decided to use the prize at a different hotel. Ive dreamt of staying at the Polynesian since I was 14 years old so there was no question. We were staying there too. The prize included: length of stay unlimited magic passes with 2 flex features, all meals and tickets to Circus du Soleil. We added the 2 days on to the end of our trip and modified our hotels a little. We were now staying 6 nights at the Beach Club and 3 nights at the Poly. This was the beginning of our best trip ever!
DH just turned 40, loves Disney, leaves the planning to me.
Me, DW 36, Disney fanatic, obsessive planner... must have magic every moment!
Hotels: The Beach Club/ Polynesian
I have to begin this report by reflecting back to last years vacation, or should I say the vacation that didnt happen. We planned a very special trip for Sept. of last year. My husbands brother bought a house in Jacksonville and we planned on visiting with them before going to Disney. My husbands mom and dad were meeting us in Orlando and we were going to drive up to Jax. for a few nights and then we were all going to Orlando together. It was an extra special trip because my FIL hadnt flown in about 20 years and flat out refused to ever fly up to this point. He agreed to do this because he wanted to see his sons new home. We were hopeful that this would be the start of his frequent flyer miles! They live in Cleveland and we live in Boston so its tough for all of us to get together.
My husband and I flew into Orlando on Sept. 8th and spent one night at Portofino Bay. My husbands a travel agent and got free tickets to Universal Studios for helping to sell US at a vacation expo so we decided to use them on this trip. We were dying to see Portofino anyway. My MIL and FIL werent flying in until Sept. 9th so it was a perfect time to check out Portofino and go to US. We really loved Portofino. They upgraded us to a suite (travel agent perk). The room was beautiful and it overlooked the bay. The pool is great (zero entry). I would definitely stay there again.
My in-laws arrived on 9/9. I was so afraid that my FIL would change his mind at the last minute and not board the plane, but I was happily wrong. He got off that plane with a big smile on his face. We were so proud of him! They thankfully had a smooth flight. Things were looking up.
We drove up to Jax and spent 2 wonderful days exploring the city and St. Augustines. We were scheduled to check into the Dolphin Hotel on Sept. 12th. Then 9/11 came and the unthinkable. Us girls were on our way to the outlet mall, while the guys were on the golf course when we got the call. We never turned on the TV so we didnt know what had happened. I wont go into the emotions we felt that day. Needless to say, nobody felt like continuing our vacation. We just wanted to go home safely and mourn with the rest of the country.
We werent sure how long Logan would be closed and none of us felt like getting back on a plane so we decided to drive home the next day. We had to drop MIL and FIL off at home in Ohio along the way. We drove for 4 days, and got home safely. It was a horrific week, one Ill never forget. Unfortunately, I dont think my FIL will ever fly again. My husbands dream of a family vacation at WDW will probably never happen.
Ok, my obsessive planning for this years trip began about 1 month after we got home. My husband was turning 40 in Sept. 2002 so I wanted to make this trip as special as I could. We decided to go deluxe all the way. Being a travel agent definitely has its perks, as we were able to get great discounts at the deluxe hotels so we decided on the Beach Club because of the easy access to Epcot. We like to spend the evenings at Epcot and walk back to our hotel. Another deciding factor is that I love my pool time and couldnt wait to swim in Stormalong Bay. We also decided to visit with BIL and SIL in Jax again for a few days. They used to live in Boston and we miss them a lot. They were planning on coming to Orlando with us for a day to do some park hopping. So the plan was in place. Two days in Jax and a week at the Beach Club.
We were then blessed with some good fortune. My husband won a prize at work, a 2-day all-inclusive WDW vacation! We couldnt believe our luck and the timing of the prize. We decided to use the prize at a different hotel. Ive dreamt of staying at the Polynesian since I was 14 years old so there was no question. We were staying there too. The prize included: length of stay unlimited magic passes with 2 flex features, all meals and tickets to Circus du Soleil. We added the 2 days on to the end of our trip and modified our hotels a little. We were now staying 6 nights at the Beach Club and 3 nights at the Poly. This was the beginning of our best trip ever!
