Pre Trip for one crazy mom

[wer2fun]

Ok I have been thinking that I could plan this whole trip and not write a pre trip report. After reading these boards for the last few months I think I just have to do it.
The Cast:
Me 38 Crazy "Stay at Home Mom" But how much am I home??!!!
DH 40 Great Guy everyones best friend especially mine!!
DD 13 Great so far, gets a 4.0, loves Softball (more on that later)
DD 10 Wondreful But a DRAMA QUEEN
DS 8 The only boy and ALL boy he has trouble with him at all times
DD 3 The best little girl EVER and yes I tell that to my other daughters!

Alright here is the deal my DD 13 plays travel softball. This means that we take her to practice two times a week and get up just about every weekend and take her to two or three games each day. No we are not the parents you see on Dateline that are pushing there kids to be the best or yelling from the crowds. Probably just the oppisite we are the parents saying do you really need to be at that pracitce.
So last November her team wins a tournament they are playing in which means they "Get" to go play in Orlando. So my wheels start turning.....I think to my self Orlando that means Disney World! Now you have to know that we would never normally take the whole family to a out of state tournamet. My husband would take her or I would to save money. I mean who wants to spend money to take a family of six anywhere that is not fun. But Disney World OH MY GOSH!
We live about an hour away from Disneyland and visit it about 2 times a year so we know the Magic that is has.
So I tell my husband that this is it we are making a commitment to go....as a family....and we are gong to extend our trip before softball begins for a "few days".
He says you see the budget you make it happen I and I will be there.
I jump on the phone and make that first phone call to the reservation line just to get some idea of cost. Are you kidding me they tell me it is going to be 14000 dollars I choke and hang up. I start to lose hope, but what they quoted me was the boardwalk for two room (6 people) park hoppers for 8 days with dining and water park and a partridge in a pear tree!
So I begin my search.......I look everywhere for a great deal. I was very happy to find this website.
Ugh my kids need me I will write more later.

 

[WindyCityDisney]

I'm betting you'll have found a way to do it. SAH parents are the best!

(No, I am not one but I am married to an awesome SAHD.)

 

[wer2fun]

So here is the next thought. Stay at the value resort, make all my lunches and carry them around in the July heat, don't do any TS meals, buy all of our suviners before we go. You know skimp and save for everything!!! Then it hit me TAX RETURN!!! I know we always try to do house or car repairs with that money but come on this could be a once in a lifetime vacation.
So I started to plan!!!
Made reservations at CBR 8 nights for two rooms nothing too fancy just standard rooms, I got the AAA rate so not to bad. Then I decided on the dining plan after going back and forth 100 times. Park hoppers for 6 days we will not be able to go during the 5 days of softbal any way. So it was set just had to find airfare! How bad could airfare be? Again I was hit with a surprise, I could not find it for anything less than 400 per person remember that is times 6. That would be impossible !

 

[wer2fun]

I put my email on every discount list for airfare on the web. I checked southwest daily. I hoped that the air Gods would magicaly a appear . They did we got a email form Delta saying check out these new rates. I looked at them and got my whole family to Orlando for 194 per person!!!!! OH Yea! We are going to Disney World. Now is where the fun really starts.
I look at the calendar and figure out when I can make my ADRs. I decide where to eat in the parks.

And I start SHOPPING! I have a big age range of kids. My DD13 will not wear anything that I think is cute. My DD10 will only wear what I want her to every so often and my DS8 is like whatever. But then there is my DD3 she loves to be cute. As it stands right now she has about 25 disney outfits!!!

At this time in planning it is about March and we are going in July. Things are going smooth. My plans are all in place. Then my husband says that it is such a short time we get to spend in the parks because of the softball schedule. Maybe we should extend the before trip a few more days. Did I hear him right has he been drinking? I jumped on it fast. Now we are staying at the CBR for 13 nights!!!

All seems to be going great and then I was making lunch for my kids jumped up on a chair to grab something off the top of my pantry and when I came down I BROKE my foot. OMG this can not be happening three months before my dream vacation. I can't walk around disney on crutches. The first thing I tell the doctor at urgent care is please tell me I will be fine by July. He said it should be OK!!!!!

 

[queenof3]

oh, keep it coming! It's July, when are you going? I am so sorry about your leg but You tell a great story!

 

[wer2fun]

Sorry I was gone all weekend at you guessed it softball. So we are in the middle of March with a broken foot. I told my family that I would be better even if that ment I had to stay off it for the next 4 months. That didn't happen though I was walking in my cast in a week. I had to wear it for 6 weeks but it is off and I am up and running.

Ok so back to our trip My DD13 has boycoted any disney clothes. She refuses to even look at anything I find. Then I took her to the mall with me and Sears had the cutest Big girl t's. She got three of them Yea!!!

I had to get throught the month on May and June with more to plan and do then you could ever imagine: DD10 b-day slumber party for 18 girls, DS8 b-day party for 6 kids, my b-day, mothers day brunch at my house, my sisters b-day, my husbands 40th bday and party for over 100, fathers day, my anniversay, my neice's bridal shower at my house for 25 and then her wedding two weeks later but I didn't have to plan that just had two make three flower girl dresses, My daughters 8th grade graduation (I know you think not that big of a deal but the school makes it huge!!) Not to mention the end of school and I am room mom for two different classes.
Isn't that crazy! Needless to say I did not get to work on Disney too much just look at these boards and stated a list of thigs to do when I had time.
But that is all over now!! In the middle of all that I found the Dis board for the custom outfits.OMG! I am a sewing kind of girl so look out.