our trip for 11 part 1

[halld6479]

we started out planning last xmas, we presented all our grown children with keys to a studio at SSR for this Dec 2-7, though our DVC saved those points for what seemed like years lol. All the kids were so excited, none of the grown kids gave been to disney, we have taken the grandkids several times and in fact they offered there services as guides to the highest paying relatives. After the surprise of the rooms I overheard a couple talking about well now how we all getting there? hum well we can drive in vans, looking into gas and van and hotel for one night each way, oldest son says they are flying and have got a good price, no no flying by any member of this family I claimed! I am/was scared to fly. so after two more announced they wanted to fly, ok if my whole family is flying then by gosh I am going with you so I set out to find tickets for all of us, then we add my dd and sm now the group has become 11. so now we have rooms, airfare then great you mean they have to worry about eating too. ok we flip for DDP for everyone. I plan out all meals for all of us because no one thinks you have to plan going to disney. I get menus and time and places set up for everyone to eat as a group, then stepm announces she doesn't like some of the places, so I tell her to go ahead and find something else but I have you covered if you fail. yep two weeks before trip she calls and says guess we are eating with you guys.
ok jump ahead to Dec 1st, big ice storm hits here and no flights out on the 1st, several on the board helps me through the fear of flying so I don't have tell the kids no trip cause of storm. Dec 2nd 5:45 am we are standing at airport and they announce our plane is loading oh boy we are here lets go, I start herding the whole crew to the door of the plane, I set down in my seat and take a deep breath and looked at DH and said darn they closed the door I can't get out! I enjoyed the trip I even set by the window. Landed in Atlanta and herded the group to the connecting plane, yep I got on that one too. next stop the mouse!

 

[halld6479]

We find our way to ME area and I tell everyone in our group, well this is the first of the long lines you will see this week, this is Disney's way to get you some practice. we actually moved though this part quickly, got on the bus and the excitement was really flowing, we arrive as SSR to find all the rest of the family has been placed in one section and the ring leader me is in another building, oh this isn't going to work, I ask so so nice if we can get moved to the same building and the nice lady looks at our group and leans over the counter and says "if it was me I would enjoy being off to myself" you are probably right but I will be running myself silly with issues. the lady says you might try tomorrow for an opening in there building, now we have arrived at 10:30 am and they can't get me a room. ok we have to be at H&V for supper so we all head to the park.
I tell you seeing the looks in the grown kids eyes as they enter the magical place on earth was the best a mom will ever see. I announce to all the time ro be at H&V to eat and tell them to go enjoy, they all look at each other and said we thought we would follow you around, I looked at the grandkids that have been there and said you take this aunt & uncle and your mom, you take the other aunt & uncle and we will take the rest. See you all at supper. Now keep in mind most of us had been up worrying about the storm for 24 hours so not sure what we were running on we manage to stay awake for Fantamic and headed for our rooms and yep our luggage was there just like they said it would be. God bless DME.

 

[halld6479]

next morning 7:30 am I am running milk,pop and coffee filters to everyones room and my cell phone goes off DH has gotten a call from front desk, "you can move to the building with the rest of the family but you must do it now, we have bell hop on the way to collect your luggage and we will store it till the room is ready". I head to our room and though everything back in cases and sure enough here comes bell hop, good thing we were heading to the park early. Away we go to AK for the day, after eating at Boma's we head back to SSR and new room, great stuff is in the new room. Even got a call to check to make sure we are happy, you bet I am and thanked them.
Tuesaday it is a free day I planned nothing till 4:00 when we will be entering
MK for xmas party. We hit the gate a running, it was awesome the decorations the crowds were lighter then we had ever seen them since we normally travel in May/June. Out of the corner of my eye I see two of my kids make a complete circle looking around. We eat at CP that night and everyone loved that. We stayed till after last parade. During the parade my grandson steps up and says grandma I lost part of my wallet, I said oh not the money part since he had his b-day money he said no my id and arcade card from SSr.After the parade we head to the hall and ask if anyone has turned it in, the guy behind the counter says guess this is more then your b-day, it is your lucky day and hands him his wallet. wow now that is special.

 

[halld6479]

Next morning two families in our group announce they have made appointments to talk DVC, wow I hooked them good. Two sons head off to driving experience, DL goes for a massage, my parents call and say they are heading to Dvc to talk too. We head to Epcot, soaring was the longest time line 45 minutes, lol far cry from what we see in may so head for it. We all meet at CR for supper then off to candle light except for my DD and his wife they opt out, but they will meet us in line to get their passes to CP that the grandkids didn't want to use. I ended up with several left over passes since many of the family decided they wanted to go do other things. I walked up to person directing traffic and handed him 4 tickets and said please find someone that can use these and went and set down. the show was great as we left the line for the next show was way back pass Japan, my plan was to gather in our special place for fireworks, my stepmom calls my cell and says come to the handicap area we have a place just outside the area saved. Ok so we show up and they have parked their two scooters next to the fence to save us a spot. so we had great seats. It was awesome, my daughter leaned over and said "mom thank you this is the best time I have ever had and I know why you and Jessica(my grand daughter) loves this place." And I see why she is coming down to work here next year. Oh the precious moments of being a mom!

 

[halld6479]

Our final family supper is at Fulton's at DD, the food was good and it was a great time sharing memories of this trip, we had celebrated a 14th, 16th, 29th and my b-days, plus the celebration of my youngest sons health issue being labeled as being in remission. It was a special trip.
well I am afraid Friday has came and we are trying to figure out how to get all this purchased stuff home. The ME bus was running late and I was starting to worry but bell hop called and said he was held up at one of the value resorts loading luggage but was on his way. Yep he made it and we are headed for airport, the driver announced "as we cross this bridge you will be leaving Disney property" oh thanks for that info. He heads use to the airport and talks all the way there about Disney it was cool. Ok off the bus don't forget your carry ons and head for the plane less then 15 minutes after security we are loaded on the plane. We make our approach at local airport and my DD looks out the window and says oh my it looks like snow out there, I look out and yep it is snow welcome back to Illinois. Well all is left is to get our bags and find the snow scrapper.
I never won a disney dream but we never went down thinking we would, we had made our minds up to making our own dreams come true and those are worth a whole lot more to me.