BlueBayou
Following the magic
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2004
- Messages
- 1,675
This was my dream trip, the one I have been planning for years. As I wrote in my pre-trip report, I did visit Walt Disney World as a child the year it opened and in 1976. I also had a trip to Disneyland in 1979 with my parents. Once I moved out west, I became a Disneyland vet with 10+ trips under my belt at this point.
But I kept dreaming of going back to the World. There is so much more there than when I last visited. As a child my family took nice vacations. After the 1976 trip to WDW we began going to the Caribbean or on a Caribbean cruise every year. The only years we did not go to the Caribbean or on a cruise we went to Hawaii and Europe. We lived in a middle class neighborhood, never bought anything on credit, had old cars paid for with cash, did not spend extravagantly on anything (hell my mom still has the loveseat and sofa from the 70s) but we took really, really nice vacations. To this day a totally suck on my 6 and 7 multiplication tables because I was in Puerto Rico when they were covered in 3rd grade. But I probably learned more about a Rainforest from being inside El Yunque and feeling the humidity than any of my classmates ever would get the opportunity to do.
My dad died very young in the early 90s, at the age of 54. It was sudden. An abdominal aneurism. While sudden and completely unexpected, he had suffered a mini-stoke (TIA) and an unexplained cardiac tamponade within the 4 years prior to his death.
I bring this up not to be morbid or depressing - but to explain my vacation planning and my desire to go to WDW.
My mom would freak every year, not wanting to spend any money on vacation. We would end up going. My dad and I would plot and plan. Did I mention that I am an only child?
My dad died one June. At the time were plotting our next vacation. There was talk of trying to go to Epcot and then on a Cruise out of Miami. You see we would get good deals by allowing the cruise line to pick our destinations (SeaSaver - filling up empty spots with less than a month from sail date). My dad traveled so much with his work he had more than a dozen tickets on two airlines with their frequent flyer program when he died. Airfare was never an issue or expense with our vacation planning. A couple of weeks before he died I decided that an epcot visit would involve too much walking for my parents. So we moved on to just the cruise. But WDW was still of interest for me.
My last conversation with my dad was mainly vacation planning. Less than 24 hours later he was dead. I was in graduate school watching an episode of Doggie Houser MD when I got the call.
Fast forward nearly 20 years later and I finally get to go back to WDW. Things have changed significantly for me. I am now married with two young, school aged children.
While my husband was initially supportive of booking this trip, there was a lot going on in his life. His dad was in the middle of Chemo for non-Hodgkins lymphoma. My DH was just so stressed. Because of seasonal flu and H1N1 there was no way we could spend our kids fall break visiting his folks but there was still the guilt of going on the vacation instead of flying to stay with them.
I should point out that my DH, kids and I have never had a true vacation as I like to think of them. We have had wonderful 4 and 5 day weekends and trips back home but never a week that was just for our family.
That is why a booked 8 nights at WDW. In my mind, a true vacation.
So lets go over the cast of characters.
Me Early 40s Loves the way Disney makes me feel.
DH Early 40s Great dad and wonderful husband. Sometimes feels stressed when things arent going just right. Loves all different types of foods (is more adventurous than me) and is willing to try most anything.
DD9 My night owl. Loves Disney and helped me plan. Thrill ride lover. Has her way of thinking things should be. In other words she has anxieties that impact the family.
DD6 My morning gal. She up for most thrill rides. She does not like Space Mountain. She had been on it twice. Has not wanted to try TofT.
Sorry I have been so long winded.
Up next: We arrive at the World!
But I kept dreaming of going back to the World. There is so much more there than when I last visited. As a child my family took nice vacations. After the 1976 trip to WDW we began going to the Caribbean or on a Caribbean cruise every year. The only years we did not go to the Caribbean or on a cruise we went to Hawaii and Europe. We lived in a middle class neighborhood, never bought anything on credit, had old cars paid for with cash, did not spend extravagantly on anything (hell my mom still has the loveseat and sofa from the 70s) but we took really, really nice vacations. To this day a totally suck on my 6 and 7 multiplication tables because I was in Puerto Rico when they were covered in 3rd grade. But I probably learned more about a Rainforest from being inside El Yunque and feeling the humidity than any of my classmates ever would get the opportunity to do.
My dad died very young in the early 90s, at the age of 54. It was sudden. An abdominal aneurism. While sudden and completely unexpected, he had suffered a mini-stoke (TIA) and an unexplained cardiac tamponade within the 4 years prior to his death.
I bring this up not to be morbid or depressing - but to explain my vacation planning and my desire to go to WDW.
My mom would freak every year, not wanting to spend any money on vacation. We would end up going. My dad and I would plot and plan. Did I mention that I am an only child?
My dad died one June. At the time were plotting our next vacation. There was talk of trying to go to Epcot and then on a Cruise out of Miami. You see we would get good deals by allowing the cruise line to pick our destinations (SeaSaver - filling up empty spots with less than a month from sail date). My dad traveled so much with his work he had more than a dozen tickets on two airlines with their frequent flyer program when he died. Airfare was never an issue or expense with our vacation planning. A couple of weeks before he died I decided that an epcot visit would involve too much walking for my parents. So we moved on to just the cruise. But WDW was still of interest for me.
My last conversation with my dad was mainly vacation planning. Less than 24 hours later he was dead. I was in graduate school watching an episode of Doggie Houser MD when I got the call.
Fast forward nearly 20 years later and I finally get to go back to WDW. Things have changed significantly for me. I am now married with two young, school aged children.
While my husband was initially supportive of booking this trip, there was a lot going on in his life. His dad was in the middle of Chemo for non-Hodgkins lymphoma. My DH was just so stressed. Because of seasonal flu and H1N1 there was no way we could spend our kids fall break visiting his folks but there was still the guilt of going on the vacation instead of flying to stay with them.
I should point out that my DH, kids and I have never had a true vacation as I like to think of them. We have had wonderful 4 and 5 day weekends and trips back home but never a week that was just for our family.
That is why a booked 8 nights at WDW. In my mind, a true vacation.
So lets go over the cast of characters.
Me Early 40s Loves the way Disney makes me feel.
DH Early 40s Great dad and wonderful husband. Sometimes feels stressed when things arent going just right. Loves all different types of foods (is more adventurous than me) and is willing to try most anything.
DD9 My night owl. Loves Disney and helped me plan. Thrill ride lover. Has her way of thinking things should be. In other words she has anxieties that impact the family.
DD6 My morning gal. She up for most thrill rides. She does not like Space Mountain. She had been on it twice. Has not wanted to try TofT.
Sorry I have been so long winded.
Up next: We arrive at the World!
What an amazing childhood you must have had! 
So many wonderful adventures! 
Great start to your TR! 
I'm on board! 
