tiggergirlinMI
Now living 30 minutes from the World!
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2005
- Messages
- 823
Who is going?
Me (39) single mom of 2 teen boys, I am a travel agent but before that I was a teacher for years and super Disney Trip Planner and Organizer
DS(17) oldest son who loves to be silly at times, and is known to dance spontaneously for people in public(imagine Chippendales music and him doing an imitation of one of the dancers)He loves to entertain people and make them laugh and smile.So if you see a young man on one of the park benches dancing between 2/20-3/4,that would be him!
DS(15 1/2)Youngest son who is happy,caring and most of the time quiet.Gets the looks from the girls but rolls his eyes when anyone points it out.Will not dance like older brother but will egg him on to the max.
When are we going?
Leave Michigan on the 18th after school, driving down, I don't mind a good long road trip, to me, getting there is part of the fun.We have always flown but not been real happy with current airfares, delays, cancellations, lost luggage, not to mention the high price of renting a car for a couple weeks in FL.We will arrive on the 20th and are at the All Star Movies for 4 nights, then head over to Royal Pacific Resort for 3 nights and do Universal through Saturday. We then head back to the Contemporary at Disney on the 27th for 6 nights.Contemporary is our usual place to stay, we just love the garden wings even though others have written how disappointed they are with it and the "towel" animals they didn't get and maybe it is just me but I laugh when I read these things.I think some people expect way too much and don't appreciate the fact that they should be happy they can afford to go to Disney with your family at all. I enjoy it for what it's worth and so the Contemporary is our yearly stop to stay.Sorry for digressing onto my tangent about things.
We are going a month earlier this year,because we still have yearly passes through March and the fact that easter falls during spring break , yea no way, haha.....I am taking the boys out of school, but being a teacher for 10 years, I know teachers understand and it has already been approved by the school system and assignments will be brought with so we are good to go!
Why are we going?
It's Disney!!!!! Besides that, with my sons getting older and going to college before I know it, I want to spend as much vacation time as I can with them.We are a very close 3 member family, especially since my divorce 3 years ago.The boys are my best friends and they tell me I am theirs.How I love these guys, we have the best time. So many times, people think I am not their mom but their older sister,( I have been very blessed to have great genes from my mom and dad and a youthful looking face for my age),So the 3 of us goof off alot and just love going to Disney World and all 3 of us plan the trip, from where to stay to where to eat.DS17 just bought a new digital camera with better pixel quality(hope I said that right!) and he is the photographer of the group, he can easily take 200 pics a day then download them to the laptop.And great,creative pics at that, not just the posed pics.
So we have planned our itinerary, made our priority seatings and are trying 3 new restaurants,Kona's, BOMA and Whispering Canyon.We have planned to eat at Whispering Canyon EVERY trip but never get to it.THIS is the trip we DO eat there,it is way past due! I have our hotels planned for the drive down and back.I don't like the thought of being on the road and stopping at 11 at night on a Friday or Saturday night and no rooms are available at any hotel. We are being smart this time and seeing as we always do wash on our trips, Im packing detergent this time, I hate paying the 1.50-2.00 a pack for detergent per load. We will pack clothes for both warm and cold weather, but living in northern Michigan, anything 50 degrees and warmer is shorts weather to us!
Even though my sons are teens, my oldest one did something cute that maybe some families with younger kids would enjoy.He made a chain countdown and hung it over the fireplace, one paper ring for each day til we leave.When he gets home from high school, he tears one off, yes he is 17 but as I said he is a young kid at heart, as his brother and I are also.
I must say as much as I know about Disney and think I know everything, the DIS boards are such an up to date help. I check them daily for any new news or suggestions.I don't think you can ever know everything about Disney or have too many suggestions on planning the perfect Disney World Vacation!
I will probably not post til we get back, unless I feel like hooking up my laptop there at the resort and writing a daily trip report.
But I will write reports, so that hopefully our trip experiences can help others who will go after we go. So look for them at the end of FEB,early March.
I just want to say thank you to all who have posted reports, as I said your input has helped us make this trip hopefully the best one yet!(and having lived in FL for 30 years of my life, I have been to Disney over 50 times ) I just think each trip gets better and better than the last one! I will write more in the weeks to come!
I am adding my itinerary so that it may help others if they ever have plans and want ideas as to what to see and when!
Sunday-Check In to All Stars Movies and off to Animal Kingdom, PS at Boma that night, head first to MGM for EMH night,then head to MK , they are open til midnight.
Monday-President's Day -spend it at Downtown Disney or EPCOT(places that can accomodate crowds), PS at Whispering Canyon that night,over to MK,open late.
Tuesday-PS at Konas(going to try this Tonga Toast FINALLY),off to MGM, then over to AK, EMH at AK.
Wednesday-EPCOT, PS at San Angel for lunch, then over to MK for a late night with EMH
Thursday-Leave Disney(only for 3 nights, haha) to Universal and stay at Royal Pacific Resort, off to Universal to ride Mummy (again, FINALLY, last year when we came down we had just left the park and were over at Disney when they had soft openings, and literally missed it by a day, so after a year we will finally ride),PS at Margaritaville for dinner.
Friday-Islands of Adventure, PS at Mythos for lunch, then parks til close
Saturday-Universal and Islands of Adventure, Mardi Gras at Universal tonight
Sunday- Back to Disney, now we are checking into the Contemporary(our second home!),Head to MK then to MGM for EMH night
Monday-PS at Chef Mickeys for Breakfast(first time doing breakfast, always doing dinner here and I'm not impressed anymore with the dinner food), go to AK or MGM then to O'Hana for PS that evening, head over to MK to finish the evening with a parade.
Tuesday-Head to EPCOT, PS at Le Cellier for lunch(yummmm, cheese soup, we have great ale cheese soup at a brewery here in our town but nothing beats this soup at Le Cellier),Head to MGM to see Fantasmic at 7.
Wednesday-Animal Kingdom and PS at Rainforest Cafe, late night at MK for EMH.
Thursday-PS at Konas for breakfast again,then to MK, and end at EPCOT for late night of EMH and seeing Illuminations
Friday-Breakfast at Concourse Steakhouse at Contemporary (Sticky Mickeys and great breakfast,yayyy),Today is our last day and in our traditional last day, we will see all 4 parks, haha..we start with MK then over to AK, Epcot then MGM and end at MK because we always end in the MK and it's tradition, need I say more?? haha
Saturday-Head back to the great white north, known as Michigan!! But it's ok, we will be back for Christmas with my parents, I can't wait!!!
I will post our trip reports on our return!!!!!
Me (39) single mom of 2 teen boys, I am a travel agent but before that I was a teacher for years and super Disney Trip Planner and Organizer
DS(17) oldest son who loves to be silly at times, and is known to dance spontaneously for people in public(imagine Chippendales music and him doing an imitation of one of the dancers)He loves to entertain people and make them laugh and smile.So if you see a young man on one of the park benches dancing between 2/20-3/4,that would be him!
DS(15 1/2)Youngest son who is happy,caring and most of the time quiet.Gets the looks from the girls but rolls his eyes when anyone points it out.Will not dance like older brother but will egg him on to the max.
When are we going?
Leave Michigan on the 18th after school, driving down, I don't mind a good long road trip, to me, getting there is part of the fun.We have always flown but not been real happy with current airfares, delays, cancellations, lost luggage, not to mention the high price of renting a car for a couple weeks in FL.We will arrive on the 20th and are at the All Star Movies for 4 nights, then head over to Royal Pacific Resort for 3 nights and do Universal through Saturday. We then head back to the Contemporary at Disney on the 27th for 6 nights.Contemporary is our usual place to stay, we just love the garden wings even though others have written how disappointed they are with it and the "towel" animals they didn't get and maybe it is just me but I laugh when I read these things.I think some people expect way too much and don't appreciate the fact that they should be happy they can afford to go to Disney with your family at all. I enjoy it for what it's worth and so the Contemporary is our yearly stop to stay.Sorry for digressing onto my tangent about things.
We are going a month earlier this year,because we still have yearly passes through March and the fact that easter falls during spring break , yea no way, haha.....I am taking the boys out of school, but being a teacher for 10 years, I know teachers understand and it has already been approved by the school system and assignments will be brought with so we are good to go!
Why are we going?
It's Disney!!!!! Besides that, with my sons getting older and going to college before I know it, I want to spend as much vacation time as I can with them.We are a very close 3 member family, especially since my divorce 3 years ago.The boys are my best friends and they tell me I am theirs.How I love these guys, we have the best time. So many times, people think I am not their mom but their older sister,( I have been very blessed to have great genes from my mom and dad and a youthful looking face for my age),So the 3 of us goof off alot and just love going to Disney World and all 3 of us plan the trip, from where to stay to where to eat.DS17 just bought a new digital camera with better pixel quality(hope I said that right!) and he is the photographer of the group, he can easily take 200 pics a day then download them to the laptop.And great,creative pics at that, not just the posed pics.
So we have planned our itinerary, made our priority seatings and are trying 3 new restaurants,Kona's, BOMA and Whispering Canyon.We have planned to eat at Whispering Canyon EVERY trip but never get to it.THIS is the trip we DO eat there,it is way past due! I have our hotels planned for the drive down and back.I don't like the thought of being on the road and stopping at 11 at night on a Friday or Saturday night and no rooms are available at any hotel. We are being smart this time and seeing as we always do wash on our trips, Im packing detergent this time, I hate paying the 1.50-2.00 a pack for detergent per load. We will pack clothes for both warm and cold weather, but living in northern Michigan, anything 50 degrees and warmer is shorts weather to us!
Even though my sons are teens, my oldest one did something cute that maybe some families with younger kids would enjoy.He made a chain countdown and hung it over the fireplace, one paper ring for each day til we leave.When he gets home from high school, he tears one off, yes he is 17 but as I said he is a young kid at heart, as his brother and I are also.
I must say as much as I know about Disney and think I know everything, the DIS boards are such an up to date help. I check them daily for any new news or suggestions.I don't think you can ever know everything about Disney or have too many suggestions on planning the perfect Disney World Vacation!
I will probably not post til we get back, unless I feel like hooking up my laptop there at the resort and writing a daily trip report.
But I will write reports, so that hopefully our trip experiences can help others who will go after we go. So look for them at the end of FEB,early March.
I just want to say thank you to all who have posted reports, as I said your input has helped us make this trip hopefully the best one yet!(and having lived in FL for 30 years of my life, I have been to Disney over 50 times ) I just think each trip gets better and better than the last one! I will write more in the weeks to come!
I am adding my itinerary so that it may help others if they ever have plans and want ideas as to what to see and when!
Sunday-Check In to All Stars Movies and off to Animal Kingdom, PS at Boma that night, head first to MGM for EMH night,then head to MK , they are open til midnight.
Monday-President's Day -spend it at Downtown Disney or EPCOT(places that can accomodate crowds), PS at Whispering Canyon that night,over to MK,open late.
Tuesday-PS at Konas(going to try this Tonga Toast FINALLY),off to MGM, then over to AK, EMH at AK.
Wednesday-EPCOT, PS at San Angel for lunch, then over to MK for a late night with EMH
Thursday-Leave Disney(only for 3 nights, haha) to Universal and stay at Royal Pacific Resort, off to Universal to ride Mummy (again, FINALLY, last year when we came down we had just left the park and were over at Disney when they had soft openings, and literally missed it by a day, so after a year we will finally ride),PS at Margaritaville for dinner.
Friday-Islands of Adventure, PS at Mythos for lunch, then parks til close
Saturday-Universal and Islands of Adventure, Mardi Gras at Universal tonight
Sunday- Back to Disney, now we are checking into the Contemporary(our second home!),Head to MK then to MGM for EMH night
Monday-PS at Chef Mickeys for Breakfast(first time doing breakfast, always doing dinner here and I'm not impressed anymore with the dinner food), go to AK or MGM then to O'Hana for PS that evening, head over to MK to finish the evening with a parade.
Tuesday-Head to EPCOT, PS at Le Cellier for lunch(yummmm, cheese soup, we have great ale cheese soup at a brewery here in our town but nothing beats this soup at Le Cellier),Head to MGM to see Fantasmic at 7.
Wednesday-Animal Kingdom and PS at Rainforest Cafe, late night at MK for EMH.
Thursday-PS at Konas for breakfast again,then to MK, and end at EPCOT for late night of EMH and seeing Illuminations
Friday-Breakfast at Concourse Steakhouse at Contemporary (Sticky Mickeys and great breakfast,yayyy),Today is our last day and in our traditional last day, we will see all 4 parks, haha..we start with MK then over to AK, Epcot then MGM and end at MK because we always end in the MK and it's tradition, need I say more?? haha
Saturday-Head back to the great white north, known as Michigan!! But it's ok, we will be back for Christmas with my parents, I can't wait!!!
I will post our trip reports on our return!!!!!
what more could you ask for?!!! 
