Planning a surprise trip

[chepic]

Well, it is done....booked a 5 day in May at the Animal Kingdom Villas (DVC) and Southwest airfare....and the kids don't know.

Let's see how much I can do without them finding out. I am really hoping that we can make it all the way to the day of to tell them....just like the commercial. We think we can....we think we can....

Che

 

[wiltwyck]

fun! good luck!

 

[chepic]

wiltwyck; thanks so much.

I think that what makes this trip so exciting is that we haven't stayed at AK before (we love going there), we have a Savanah view, and it will be a complete surprise to the kids. We told them there would be no Disney trip this year and they were quite disappointed. The boys are 5/9 now...will be 6/10 when we travel. Also, we are flying this year. Flights have been so expensive lately that our last 3 trips we have driven the 1500+ miles each way. The kids are always whining "why can't we fly".

I also, must admit, I am a plan-a-holic so I feel like I am a bit time crunched since I only have 5 months to do it...

Well, off to work and dream about the Disney trip..

che

 

[Monny2AE]

Good luck keeping it a surprise!

We're surprising our kids in October! Mums the word...it's going to be a long 9 months for me!

Good thing we have the DISboards to chat on so we don't spill.

 

[chepic]

Good luck keeping it a surprise!

We're surprising our kids in October! Mums the word...it's going to be a long 9 months for me!

Good thing we have the DISboards to chat on so we don't spill.

you bet....it will be the thing that keeps me from opening my big mouth!!

 

[chepic]

So here is the back story on this trip:

My husband and I went on our honeymoon in 1988 and stayed off property. At that time we couldn't afford to stay on property since all that was availabe were the Magic Kingdom properties.

Two years into our marriage I find out that I have Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and the one thing that kept me going was the thought of going to Disney when it was all over! After a year of treatments and such, God blessed me with a life worth living and we headed down to Disney to stay on property and go camping in Fort Wilderness. What a blast it was.

As our lives progressed, we found that we would head to Disney to celebrate all of our life's acheivements: college degrees, anniversaries, birthdays, adopting our children, etc. We were fortunate enough to buy into DVC in the late 90's and have always been able to return to our favorite place every year.

Well, May is very special to our family....especially this May. I will be 20 years cancer free, something that should have really taken me away from this earth. So where do I want to spend my time with my family to celebrate?

Disney!!

So now the trip is starting to take shape: Me, my husband, my 2 sons (5/9).

I have my husband book the room one day when the kids are at school and those large ears that only seem to hear the things they aren't supposed to wouldn't be in range. He calls member services and books a 2 bedroom lock off overlooking the Savanah at Kidnai village. When we are talking about it later, I realize that he said 2 bedroom......there are only 4 of us, why do we need a room that big. He laughed and said...more space....so, silly us will have a gigantic area to spend our 5 nights. I am certain the boys will be happy since they will each get their own queen size bed!!

che

 

[chepic]

So in our past 3 trips with the kids we have done the drive.....yes it is a long time in the car (mom, he's touching me!!), yes it takes 1.5 days (how much farther!!), but it has always been an adventure

Well this time, we had some southwest points and the 1 way tickets were affordable, so we booked the flight. Had to do ours first because of the voucher. Then had to book the kids....now that was an adventure....first we couldn't do the round trip because I couldn't link our 2 separate flights...kids have to be linked to the adult. Then I started to do the one way when I saw the flight price jump by $50.... So I called southwest and get a wonderful woman on the line that walked me through the entire process so we were able to get all but one of the one way flights at the lower price. She had the patience of a saint and sat on the phone with me while I plugged in each of us separately, typing the credit card number 6 times (you think I could have it memorized by then!), and telling me how to do it so I could get the lower price. Meanwhile one of my "big ears" is trying to see what I am doing, DH shooing him out of the room only increases his desire to know what is going on.....ahhh the joys of parenthood and keeping secrets

now off to book some places to eat!

che

 

[chepic]

so the question I have...has anyone eaten at the restaurant in the Swan....I think it is the garden grill or something like that. I read that there are characters that come. Any info will help on that front. We always try to hit a different place to eat when we are there, and have never even walked into the Swan or Dolphin.....ridden by on a surrey though

Che

 

[Christine9125]

Congrats on 20 years of being Cancer Free! Coming from a family who has lost so many to cancer, including my mom at the age of 53, I love hearing someone is surviving. I have had a long year of cancer scares in 2010, ending in 2 surgeries and having to go back to be rechecked next month. We are also surprising our kids, they think we are going to Myrtle Beach, leaving July 29, driving. I am so excited, as I am sure you are. I made Vacation books for each of them (DD20, DD15, DS15). The cover page is about the hotel we were staying at while at the beach and when they turn the page it is all about our stay at POP

 

[chepic]

Congrats on 20 years of being Cancer Free! Coming from a family who has lost so many to cancer, including my mom at the age of 53, I love hearing someone is surviving. I have had a long year of cancer scares in 2010, ending in 2 surgeries and having to go back to be rechecked next month. We are also surprising our kids, they think we are going to Myrtle Beach, leaving July 29, driving. I am so excited, as I am sure you are. I made Vacation books for each of them (DD20, DD15, DS15). The cover page is about the hotel we were staying at while at the beach and when they turn the page it is all about our stay at POP

I am a scrapbooker myself...love to make vacation books for our trips. I have almost too many to count now.

thanks for the well wishes, and right back at you. Cancer is a scary thing, but definitely curable. Power of Prayer!!

We have driven to Disney with the kids multiple times and it has always worked out fine....even with the complaints of being too long. The end result is the important thing. Then for the ride home....RED BULL

cheryl