Our SPECTACULAR SPECTACULAR Disney Minnie-Moon

[Celebgrrl]

Hopefully, I'm not starting this Pre-Trip report too early! I'm just rather excited about the whole idea of a minnie-moon at Disney. Hey, if we can't go to Ireland, at least we can do Disney, right?

OK, let's get to the characters, the story and the plans!

Characters:

Lum - 30 yrs old, and my Dear Fiancee (Lum is his nickname, long Star Wars related story. If anyone gets the reference, they get a spiffy "no-prize"! ). He is a wonderful man, great partner, and has lived in Florida since he was 10. He does not like Disney. But he does like the Jungle Book, zoos and animals....I can work with that.....

Celebgrrl - 31 yrs old, LOVE Disney, grew up on it (I’m my mom’s “little souvenier” from Disney World). I moved from Illinois to be with Lum – and he asked me to marry him in 2005. When I was little, we used to have once a year family vacations at Disney! I’m the type of girl who has every planning video from Disney, and I watch them. I’ve seen every Travel Channel special on Disney, as well as the Food Network ones – and I usually hate the Food Network. Yes, I’m a Disney Nerd.

My Mom – Wonderful, amazing person. She’s a nurse-midwife, a Navy Captain, a Lamaze instructor, Head of Nurse-Midwifery at University of Illinois, and runs the Women’s clinic at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Plus, she got straight A’s in college. Need I also mention that she is Disney planner extrodinarie? I mention her because she may come up in the trip report. And she’s cool. (Note on my father – He was amazing and wonderful – however, he died in 2003. It’s OK, but he may not be in trip report as much as everyone else. He’ll be there in spirit though!)

Lum’s Mom and Dad – Awesome, wonderful people. They are Navy contractors, and live in Florida. I’m lucky to have them as in-laws. Lum’s mom loves Disney, but in the casual Florida sense (“I live here, I can go whenever”) We always bring her to Mickey’s Very Merry, as she seems to enjoy spending the evening with us. Lum’s dad however, is more immune to the joys of MouseWorld. He calls it “Wally World”. We are inviting him to MVMCP this year – will he go?!?!?!

The Story:

First, a little background on my Disney history: As I said above, my family (Mom, Dad, lil’brother) used to visit Florida once a year for two weeks. Our first week was usually spent visiting Grandma and the other parks with her (Cypress Gardens, Bush Gardens, Baseball and Boardwalk, and/or Sea World, as well as Davidson of Dundee. OK, that last one isn’t a theme park, but it’s very delicious!)

Anyway, we’d always go on the Gold Key Plan – old skool Disney luxury! Yes, I’m a “Golden Child”! Through the years, I got to experience some great Disney things, from stays at the Contemporary and Polynesian Resorts, to the Top of the World dinner show and their brunch (YUM), not to mention going on the Wonders of the World tours. It was great times, all thanks to my wonderful parents who planned the whole thing. Even cast members were in awe of my mother’s amazing ninja-like planning skills, and I learned my skills from her. Suffice to say, I love the Disney. 

Flash-forward to 2003: I, discouraged and disheartened because of my latest breakup, decide to swear off dating men. Because fate is funny that way (right comedian, she is), I meet an amazing man the week after I decide to stop dating. Lum and I were both in Atlanta, and met through mutual friends. He thinks I’m cute, and two days later, bolstered by some Guinness, asks me (jokingly) to marry him (he thinks it will get my attention. It worked). We begin whirlwind romance that leads to me moving down to Florida. He eventually decides to ask me to marry him in 2005 on my birthday, in Atlanta, on the same day that we met. Everyone’s very happy, and marriage insanity begins! (If you want to full-on, gooey romantic story, including costumes, death, tears, and joyous reunion, pm me, and I’ll mail the melodrama in a one-act, off Broadway, version.  )

Cut to July 2006: Lum, being of Irish descent, is very interested in going to Ireland on our honeymoon. I’m all for that, because I also like Ireland, am of Irish descent, and like riding horses – which I hear you can do in Ireland. (Yes, I know we have them here too, but Ireland has IRISH horses – they whinny with an accent!) However, after looking at finances, and stress, and time off of work, we don’t think it’s possible. So what does my Disney-disliking fiancé say? What does the man that I have to DRAG to Disney with me anytime I want to go respond with? What is this you ask?

“Well, how about we go to Animal Kingdom Lodge for a few days to relax?”


You could have scrapped me off the floor at that point. Why Animal Kingdom Lodge dearest? Why Disney, for that matter?

“You like the Disney, and I like animals. Animal Kingdom is the one Disney park I like, plus at AKL, I can sit on the balcony, watch the animals and drink my coffee. That’s seems cool to me.”

I’ll take it! Although my first choice would have been the Polynesian, Disney beggars can’t be choosers, right? At least the man is open, and that says a lot. Maybe, just maybe, I can convert him a little more….(note: after quizzing him a few weeks later, Lum says that he suggested AKL because I eventually would have asked about Disney. It was a pre-emptive Disney attack, and at least he gets to stay where he wanted too. Whatever. )


The Plan:

I started making reservations right away. I have an annual pass, and I have several park hopper tickets left over from which I marched in the Star Wars Weekends parades (I’m the Rebel coordinator for the Rebel Legion. Had to be there every weekend to make sure our people looked good) Tickets – check!

Resort: Animal Kingdom Lodge, January 8 – 10th That means three days, two nights. We have savannah view rooms. I’m holding out for a discount in January for their concierge rooms, but since there’s no sunrise tours during our time there (and we are so NOT paying the stupid amount for the Jiko tour), a normal room is OK by us. I’m also working with the wonderful folks at Magicforless – mainly because I have, officially, gotten tired of dealing with the Disney folks. Don’t get me wrong here guys, I love Disney…it’s just that I can’t seem to make any headway with them. So, I called in the big guns to help!

ADR’s – OK, this is more up my alley! Here’s the line-up:

Monday: Dinner at Boma at 7pm Lum’s a little hesitant, but I’ve heard good things about this place – and the Zebra Domes. We will most likely sing the Kenya song whilst eating Zebra domes. (and call them zea-bra, not zee-bra domes. It’s funnier that way.)

Tuesday: Magic Kingdom
Breakfast: Cinderella’s Once Upon a Time Breakfast at 8:20
Yes, I know I’m 31. Who cares? We’re going to Disney, it’s our honeymoon, and I’m a princess, darn it . Lum’s OK with it as long as there is bacon, eggs and sausage. Do you think I can get one of the magic wands?

Dinner: Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue at 7:15 pm showing
Ahh – I’ve been looking forward to this my whole entire life. Our family always went to HDDR each time we went to Disney, and I can almost recite the show by heart. This is a place that is very dear to me, and I can’t wait to raise my hand proudly when they ask for any “just marrieds” in the crowd!

Itinerary (just in case you wanted to know!):

Monday: Lum and I leave for Disney. We check into the resort, and relax after getting married. We may visit Downtown Disney, we may go swimming – but there will be some “couples” time – after all, we are newlyweds!

Tuesday: Rise and shine, time for Cindy’s and Magic Kingdom. We will get there early, visit some favorite things, and then leave in the afternoon for a nap. After our “nap”, we will get ready and head to Hoop-Dee-Doo. After hootin’ and hollerin’, we go back to AKL

Wednesday: Animal Kingdom – Lum’s favorite. We will watch some animals, relax, save dinos from extinction – no big, right? Then, time to drive back home and step back into the real mundy world.

And that’s it for now. I’ll post any updates - like our trip to MVMCP and such. Thanks for reading, and I can’t wait to post my real TR!!