Our first EVER (maybe ONLY)trip to WDW! 9/23-9/29

[jrasmom]

I bet you will. We went when our youngest was 10. She was the perfect age. She still believed and loved the princesses and yet she was old enough to go on the big rides.

Not to mention everytime the youngest sees Mickey, Goofy, Donald on TV or looks at our pictures he says "I want to go there again" I think we have a Disney fanatic on our hands already!!

You guys really sound like me and my husband-we were so close to going to Alaska this year, but our youngest is Marching at the MK in April at the parade, so WDW won out for our 25th wedding anniv. trip. It will probably take another 4 years to save for the Alaska. He wants to do the train, ship excursion.

I can see WHY the WDW won out this time. My guy wants to fly there and stay in a cabin, with a rental car and a few travel trips. The bottom line....he wants to go fishing..................WHAT am I supposed to do? Not to mention I don't like the cold We've got several years before we hit another milestone anniversary (we've been married 11 yrs now) maybe we'll be able to save up & do something FANTASTIC for our 25th....by that time the kids will either be gone from home or old enough to deal with being left behind for a week.

Thanks for sharing your vacation with us.

Thanks for reading!!

 

[sbpuckett]

subbing to read later.

 

[sbpuckett]

First, I was wondering where in WV you are from? We are in the southern part of the state where the weather was great until January (for the most part anyway). We also drove down for our first trip in October and I thought for sure I'd have to talk DH into another one down the road. However, on the third day he turned to me and asked when we were planning to come back! We're planning a surprise C'mas trip in 2008 or January of 2009 (Gosh that seems sooo long). The boys only know that we're going when "Gabe is 8 and Matt is 6". I will definitely have to look into the free dining though. We spent more than you did and stayed off site... I'm thinking the food made a difference and we didn't even eat much in the parks. And... we only went to MK and MGM... three day passes

Anyway, thanks for the report. I never wrote one and sometimes wish I had. I still have all of my photos on the computer and have yet to have the extra money to print them out

 

[5starmom]

We all had a great time reading your trip report! My kids stood behind me the whole time and loved reading and enjoying the wonderful pictures.

We are going on our first Disney trip in September and our oldest will be 13. He saw the pics of the AT-AT and the Lego things and his jaw dropped and then he got a huge grin. LOL He said, "I thought there was only Mickey stuff there...not all THIS!!" hehe They have no clue what's at WDW!

Anyhow, don't count out another trip! I *do* understand about the money, though. We're going all out this year because we've waited so long but I don't know that we'll be able to go back before our 2 oldest are in high school. They'd STILL want to go, though, if we could!

Thanks again for all the details and great report!

 

[jrasmom]

First, I was wondering where in WV you are from? We are in the southern part of the state where the weather was great until January (for the most part anyway). We also drove down for our first trip in October and I thought for sure I'd have to talk DH into another one down the road. However, on the third day he turned to me and asked when we were planning to come back! We're planning a surprise C'mas trip in 2008 or January of 2009 (Gosh that seems sooo long). The boys only know that we're going when "Gabe is 8 and Matt is 6". I will definitely have to look into the free dining though. We spent more than you did and stayed off site... I'm thinking the food made a difference and we didn't even eat much in the parks. And... we only went to MK and MGM... three day passes

Anyway, thanks for the report. I never wrote one and sometimes wish I had. I still have all of my photos on the computer and have yet to have the extra money to print them out

Hi Shannon!! I'm in Charleston, where are you? I've been to some of the counties to the south of me before

From what I've read on here the FREE Dining is usually offered mid-August thru October 1st or around there. My hubby would like to go back some year in February or so but I'd lean towards the free dining promotion just about every time.....that saved us a TON of money!! And the next time we go our oldest will cost more (he'll be over 10) AND the youngest will no longer be free either. And I don't know if I'd stay offsite or not, it was so convenient to park our car that first day & not have to get back in it until we were leaving for home. And we'd thought that we would still use our car instead of the bus when we left here.

Your welcome for the report....this was my way of making a scrapbook, since I lack all talent in making a real one I printed this report our on Disney scrapbooking paper and put them into my album we bought while there.

5starmom....Thanks for reading!! You'll have to be sure to make a stop at the Lego store in downtown Disney for your oldest. My oldest could've spent hours there, in the store AND outside looking at all the models.

 

[sbpuckett]

Hi Shannon!! I'm in Charleston, where are you? I've been to some of the counties to the south of me before

From what I've read on here the FREE Dining is usually offered mid-August thru October 1st or around there. My hubby would like to go back some year in February or so but I'd lean towards the free dining promotion just about every time.....that saved us a TON of money!! And the next time we go our oldest will cost more (he'll be over 10) AND the youngest will no longer be free either. And I don't know if I'd stay offsite or not, it was so convenient to park our car that first day & not have to get back in it until we were leaving for home. And we'd thought that we would still use our car instead of the bus when we left here.

Your welcome for the report....this was my way of making a scrapbook, since I lack all talent in making a real one I printed this report our on Disney scrapbooking paper and put them into my album we bought while there.

5starmom....Thanks for reading!! You'll have to be sure to make a stop at the Lego store in downtown Disney for your oldest. My oldest could've spent hours there, in the store AND outside looking at all the models.

Hey, I'm in Bluefield so about 2 1/2 hours south of you. Since reading your report I'm definitely looking forward to when they release free dining again so I can compare prices and such. I still can't think that I'll be able to afford it again until 2008 sad2: ) but if the Free dining would save a lot of money AND allow us to stay on site... I may have to skip my timeshare that year! Next time around my boys will still be young enough for child tickets but school will be my concern then. I'm just not sure how my youngest would do missing a week... he doesn't seem to like school much as it is There's just way too much to consider. Anyway, thanks again for the trip report. It's always nice to see things through others eyes BTW - DH wanted to know what route you guys took? It only took us about 13 hours and that included a couple of stops...

 

[jrasmom]

Hey, I'm in Bluefield so about 2 1/2 hours south of you. Since reading your report I'm definitely looking forward to when they release free dining again so I can compare prices and such. I still can't think that I'll be able to afford it again until 2008 sad2: ) but if the Free dining would save a lot of money AND allow us to stay on site... I may have to skip my timeshare that year! Next time around my boys will still be young enough for child tickets but school will be my concern then. I'm just not sure how my youngest would do missing a week... he doesn't seem to like school much as it is There's just way too much to consider. Anyway, thanks again for the trip report. It's always nice to see things through others eyes BTW - DH wanted to know what route you guys took? It only took us about 13 hours and that included a couple of stops...

We took the Turnpike (77 South) to 26 East (towards Charleston, SC thru Columbia) to 95 South thru Georgia (towards Savannah, etc) all the way down to Daytona Beach/New Smyrna Beach, Florida then 4 West over to Orlando.

This was the route that came up on MapQuest for us, unknowlingly taking us right past where we'd vacationed in April at my cousin's house in New Smyrna.

We stop as few times as possible, having a weeks worth of school work AND a portable DVD player in our van helped with this alot.

Our first grader had pretty much all her school work done on the drive down...she was/is excited about school work while the older one would say "I don't want to do it" and procrastinated the whole week...so he was still finishing up the last 2 assignments HERE at home the Sunday night before returning to school! And it wasn't like he has a hard time with school work or had a lot to do, he just didn't want to do it!

 

[sbpuckett]

That's the same route we took. Yeah... the TV in the car is a wonderful thing for everyone's sanity. My oldest is also in 1st grade and his teacher was great about sending his work home a week before we left so he was finished before we left. I'm wondering when that whole attitude about homework will change... it's so easy to get him to do it right now.

 

[tinawv]

Howdy neighbor. I actually live in Parkersburg, WV, not to far from you. I really enjoyed reading your trip report. I am a WDW addict. We have been there 4 times, and my family makes fun of me because I have no desire to go anywhere else. As a matter of fact, I got a part-time job to pay for my addiction.

 

[marciemi]

Hi - I saw your pictures on the Picture of the Day thread and followed your link to here. You sound like us a few trips ago. When the kids were young, we wanted to (and did luckily) take several trips to WDW. But then decided we were done with it. I went back and pulled up some of my (very) old threads to show you the comparison:

From a thread in March 2003:

Okay - we just got back from a trip to Disneyland. We'd decided this was our last Disney trip for a while, if not forever, based on the cost, time between vacations, and ages of our kids. We do a big trip about every 3 years, and want our next one to be a ski vacation in Colorado. Our boys are 7,9,11 now, and going out 3 years after that one puts my older two in high school! So we thought this was it!

But everyone had too much fun on the trip, and now we're contemplating trying to squeeze one more trip (this time to WDW) in before they're really too old to enjoy it. Thinking of next summer ('04), but it would definitely have to be a driving trip - 5 plane tickets are just too much! And since it's driving, and my oldest will be in middle school next year, I'm also thinking it has to be over the summer to allow enough time to drive and do everything down there.

From a thread in May of 2005:

Yeah, I know it's a little early to be dancing. But after deciding after our 2000 trip that we were done with Disney (not because of any bad experience or anything, just the kids were getting older, there was other stuff we wanted to do, it was expensive and far away...), DH had to go on business in January and we all came along for 3 days. Well, of course that got us all excited about it again.

Since we returned, we've discussed the possibility of maybe, someday, going back and spending a good, longer time there - actually doing more than sprinting from main attraction to main attraction. We've been researching and decided it would involve driving from Michigan with our family of 5, staying offsite, and going when the kids were off school.

And from a quote I wrote last night to another person from these boards I email:

Unfortunately this will probably be the last trip with all the kids. We’re running out of summer and this trip had to be crammed between Drivers’ Ed, summer school classes, marching band and travel and high school soccer. We also have a few more trips we’d like to take with all the kids.

Well, those 7, 9, and 11 kids are now 11, 13, and almost 15 and we're heading back for 2 weeks this summer! I really, really think this will be our last trip, but may end up eating my words again! But I think the amount we're spending on this trip may make it more true. $1200 sounds like such a bargain! We're spending that much on air, plus $2000 on a rental house, plus $1600 on park tickets, plus $200 for one night at Universal plus $$450 on Universal passes plus $750 to do the surf lessons at Typhoon Lagoon plus a few other smaller tours (Aqua Seas at Epcot, Golf, etc.) I'm well over $6000 and we haven't eaten yet! Or bought any souvenirs. Yes, this will be a once-in-a-lifetime one and next trip will most likely be DH & I in 7 years when all 3 boys are in college (wait - what am I thinking? How will we ever afford Disney with 3 boys in college at the same time? )

So who knows? I would just like to say that if you can do it sooner rather than later it would be better. Yesterday was my birthday and my middle DS asked last night if I could get anything I wanted for my birthday what it would be and I answered “just one more trip to Disney when you guys were little and cute!” It was so much fun then. I've been on the photo thread and putting all my pics up from our 97 and 98 trips and it just makes me so nostalgic! But I look back at the pics from our last trip in 2005 and it wasn’t fun and cute, it was go, go, go!

 

[Sehsun]

Enjoyed your trip report! Sounds like you had a wonderful deal on the dining plan.

 

[jrasmom]

Hi - I saw your pictures on the Picture of the Day thread and followed your link to here. You sound like us a few trips ago. When the kids were young, we wanted to (and did luckily) take several trips to WDW. But then decided we were done with it.

So who knows? I would just like to say that if you can do it sooner rather than later it would be better. Yesterday was my birthday and my middle DS asked last night if I could get anything I wanted for my birthday what it would be and I answered “just one more trip to Disney when you guys were little and cute!” It was so much fun then. I've been on the photo thread and putting all my pics up from our 97 and 98 trips and it just makes me so nostalgic! But I look back at the pics from our last trip in 2005 and it wasn’t fun and cute, it was go, go, go!

Yeah, my link works!! I just need to post more often around the board to have more people read the report too I guess

I know EXACTLY why you don't fly often with 5 of you, there was no way we were willing to spend that kind of money on a flight when we could drive it in one day and gas was no where near the $1700+ it was going to cost us for air.

Right now, dh & I are talking about going away for the weekend over our anniversary in June.
He's talking about Atlanta & the Georgia Aquarium, well...that is an 8 hr. drive and #1..if I'm going to leave the kids behind for 2 nights/2.5-3days I'd like to be closer to home #2...I think the kids would so enjoy that aquarium and be really upset with us for leaving them behind...which is something we have NEVER done in what will be 12 yrs. of marriage (10 since we had our first kid). He has/had me checking on flight deals, while I can find $288 roundtrip which I don't think is a bad price, once it all adds up to over $625 for the two of us I just keep telling myself no way, we'll either drive or forget it. I can't bring myself to spend more then we usually spend on a vacation every year on a weekend getaway for the two of us, even without air it's going to be $300-$400 and guess I'm just cheap!!

We know say 'when we return' etc. and so on, so we KNOW we'll be back at WDW at some point but probably only once as a family. Next time will be 2009/2010 at least most likely. Then after that IF(and that is a big if) we decide to spend that kind of money on a trip we'd like to go west see some sites, or travel to Alaska (well, he would more then me ). But, in all honesty I'm happy with our annual trips to the beach with my parents (the grandkids really enjoy that part) for less then $500-$600 a year AND that is more feasible to our sacings account and checkbooks too.

 

[jrasmom]

Enjoyed your trip report! Sounds like you had a wonderful deal on the dining plan.

Hi, thanks for reading!!

And...GOOD LUCK ON YOUR INTERVIEW RESULTS FOR THE CP!!!

 

[jrasmom]

Howdy neighbor. I actually live in Parkersburg, WV, not to far from you. I really enjoyed reading your trip report. I am a WDW addict. We have been there 4 times, and my family makes fun of me because I have no desire to go anywhere else. As a matter of fact, I got a part-time job to pay for my addiction.

You're right, you're not too far away from me. We have best friends that live in Ripley, and I have family in Given.

Actually my hubby was just up there at Parkersburg Christian Academy for an overnight basketball tournament with the Varsity Boys basketball team from the school we graduated from & our kids now attend *even though they are in the elementary* AND he'll be back up there next Friday night for more games!

Oh yeah, and we drove up there to Larry Simmons to buy our Odyssey in
2005, because they beat anybody else's offer of a price.

I've been finding myself back on here more and more and more, as we talk about what we're going to do for vacation this year. But I know we can't afford to do it this year, we're supposed to be doing a kitchen remodel (he's been promising me for a year AND I've got the money all saved up for it!) and possibly he's going to have Lasik done soon too so anything this year will be super cheap most likely.

 

[Sehsun]

Hi, thanks for reading!!

And...GOOD LUCK ON YOUR INTERVIEW RESULTS FOR THE CP!!!

Thank you!!

 

[tomandrobin]

Nice trip report!

Its good to read your family had a memorable trip!!

 

[jrasmom]

Nice trip report!

Its good to read your family had a memorable trip!!

Thank YOU!

I took a break from the DIS once we returned and here I am now, reading, loading up on info. DREAMING about planning the next trip knowing it's going to be several years from now I think I'm losing it!

 

[Imagoofy1]

great report - and pics are so nice