GADISNEYGIRL
<font color=red>Maelstromer!<br><font color=purple
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2003
- Messages
- 1,227
Pre-Trip 9/14-9/19
The Trip That Almost Wasn't
Cast:
Me: Rhonda/Mommy, 31, WDW Veteran (Trip #15?)
DH: Mark/Daddy, 32, WDW Veteran (Trip #20?)
DS: Wesley/Peter Pan, 2.5, WDW Veteran (Trip #4)
Last September, we broke down. We couldn't take it anymore. We HAD to have a Disney fix, even though we had sworn we would never take children there until they could walk on their own for 14 hours at a stretch. If they were already working and could pay their own way, so much the better! Yet there we were, with an 18 mo old who was obsessed with the Toy Story characters. So we did what any self-respecting parents would do: we went back on our word, and took him to Disney World. Oh, yeah...and we didn't tell anybody. After all, our son didn't know about this thing we had sworn, but everyone else did! And the trip was so great, so pleasant, so *magical*, that on the way home we decided that a September trip should become an annual tradition.
In April, events transpired to bring us back to The World, about 5 months before our planned trip. Two weekends in a row. (Trip reports on these 3 prior trips are posted on the Board already.) After that, we were certifiably Disney Crazy. I mean, we were already nuts about Disney, but after April, we were Disney Freaks. Our lives were one long Disney high. Anything could make us think of Disney. The main topic of conversation at our house was Disney. If you were with DS for more than 5 minutes, he would say, "Tell me what are we going to ride! Tell me who are we going to see!" And we were happy to oblige. DS memorized ride clips. He even learned the monorail lines~in Spanish! We memorized the Planning Video. All of us. Every second of it. We looked at our Pictorial Memory of the Walt Disney World Resort until its pages were tattered (it's great for keeping DS entertained on road trips). We pored over the PassPorter like we were first-timers. DH and I spent countless hours on the DISBoards. DH listened to Live365 constantly, and every time something we loved came on, he would call me, so I could hear it, too (no speakers at work for me). We made a CD of our favorite Disney songs to listen to in the car.
In May, we started planning our PSs ~ DS has gotten over his fear of the characters, and we thought that this would be the trip to do a ton of character meals. You know, before he outgrows the "realness" of the characters. We were still debating about where to stay. We've stayed at All Star Movies three times, so we thought maybe something different. Pop Century? Well, we're staying there in December, when we go with Mark's parents. Oh, well, we have time to decide.
The summer was crazy, but in June, we had circled the dates on the calendar when we needed to call to make PSs~DH got up EVERY morning at 7am to call...not just for our CRT and PSB days (yes, we're doing them both~DS is quite the ladies' man). He said it was all a part of the "experience". Well, lucky me, since he called from the bedroom, and not the den, I got to be a part of the "experience", as well.
In July, we started thinking again about which resort. DS is now more into Peter Pan than Toy Story, but he still gets a kick out of Andy's Room... and then September codes came out, and our decision was made: no rooms available at ASMo with the code for the dates we needed. So...Pop Century it is! After an initial mixup about what our rate actually would be, we got it all straightened out. Wow, were we pumped! 5 nights in the Magic, at least one PS every day, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, all our favorite rides and food, what could be better? (Well, okay, longer than 5 days would be better...but we do have a trip to the mountains coming up in 6 weeks, and another trip to WDW in December.) And suddenly, it was August!
The first weekend of August, we were traveling south to my parents'. The 2 1/2 hour trip was spent~what else?~planning our trip (as if we hadn't been doing that for 11 months already!), and listening to our homemade Disney Favorites CD. The second weekend of August, we were traveling east to Mark's parents'. That trip was interesting for several reasons. One, we were trying to beat Tropical Storm Bonnie to Savannah. We expected to be in heavy rain the whole trip. Two, Hurricane Charley would likely impact Savannah as well, later in the weekend. Three, we would be helping to clean out Mark's grandfather's house (he is now in a nursing home; see my April trip reports), so things were bound to be emotional. We started out, as always, talking about the upcoming WDW trip and listening to the Disney CD. It did rain most of the way, but nothing terrible. Once we got there, we did have some bad weather that night, but most of it seemed to pass by morning, just some lingering rain. And then, we hear that Charley has headed~straight for WDW!!! Now, my inlaws like Disney as much as the next person...after all, they have agreed to take us in December as our Christmas gift...but they don't really *get* it, you know...they don't understand our *fascination*...okay, our *addiction*. So it was very furtively that DH sneaked off to the computer to check on our beloved second home (we wish). It seemed that things were okay, no major damage, anyway. We breathed a sigh of relief. And Savannah didn't get anything from Charley at all, which was another relief (especially for my MIL!).
The next weekend was fairly uneventful. But on Monday morning, DH got an email from someone in our church (DH is a pastor). This person was going to pay for DH to attend one of the training seminars that the Disney Institute offers. This was a dream come true for DH, he has wanted to do this for ages. There were two options: one, in January, at Coronado Springs. The other, in February, at The Boardwalk. For the same price! We're headed to the Boardwalk!!! Even better, we will be able to celebrate DS' 3rd birthday while we're there! Let me tell you, the Disney high doesn't get much, umm...higher...than that! Three trips within 6 months, only one of which we had to pay for! We spent the week in a happy Disney-induced fog.
The following Sunday afternoon, DH called me from the church. "Can you check The Weather Channel? Time for the Tropical Update...I think Frances could be a problem." This was the same weekend that Tropical Storm Gaston was dumping inches and inches of rain on the Carolinas. And sure enough, Frances was suddenly becoming a real threat. We spent the week anxiously checking the projected path and worrying~about WDW, of course, but more importantly for all those who were still trying to recover from Charley. As the weekend drew nearer, we realize a new threat. TWO landfalls are expected from Frances, and the second one will likely affect US! We agonized with everyone else as Frances churned off the coast, just prolonging the inevitable. And on Monday night (Labor Day), we stood on our front porch and watched tropical storm force winds blow the pecan limbs ever closer to the power lines, while sheets of rain pelted down. It was about that time that most of our county lost power. Thankfully, we never did. A huge pecan limb *just* missed falling on the power lines in our front yard. Now you should know that we really enjoy storms. Nothing like a good rainy Saturday, when you can sit at home, drinking hot cocoa, watching football and listening to the rain. Nothing like a late afternoon thunderstorm, watching an awesome lightning display dance in the sky. Frances was an awesome force, all right...but not something we care to repeat! And that was as a TROPICAL STORM, NOT A HURRICANE! On Tuesday, neither of us worked, because both the church and my office were without power. We spent the day alternately watching The Weather Channel and The Santa Clause. (Yes, I KNOW it is only September, but it is one of DS' favorite movies!) And while Frances is still the Big Story, now they are also talking about Ivan. And the formerly benign Ivan, who was sooooo far south, and could not possibly pose a threat to the US, was all at once posing a HUGE threat to the US...more specifically, central FL! This could not be happening. 3 landfalling hurricanes, in a month's time, affecting the same areas? We are no strangers to hurricanes. We have friends and relatives all over FL, from Miami to Pensacola. My parents live just north of Tallahassee (just across the GA line), and are only about 50 miles from the coast. We have felt the aftereffects of hurricanes before. Mark's parents, in Savannah, of course, are ON the coast. We lived in Savannah ourselves for 3 years, and were part of the mass evacuation of the east coast for 1999's Hurricane Floyd. This was just getting crazy.
And so it was on Tuesday night (when we had already begun packing) that the question first arose: Should we reschedule? Now really, this was silly, because we *know* that an exact projection path is just not possible that far out. On Wednesday, we were still discussing it. On Thursday, we brought our calendars home to see when we could possibly reschedule. DH called to check on PS availability for the following week. Nothing, for what we wanted. That same day, I realized that, due to some unexpected financial situations, we would not have as much money to play with at WDW, anyway. And, we still had to buy tires for the car before we left. It was already depressing to walk into the bedroom and see those partially packed suitcases, and wonder if we would need them in a week's time. And then the question became, should we do the unthinkable and CANCEL? No, we agreed. We just have to wait and see. That's just how it is with hurricanes. Wait and see. There were a couple of PS that *could* be cancelled, if necessary, once we arrive, to save on our expenses. IF we arrive. Friday night, DH had to suffer through that awful FSU loss (he's an FSU alum). By the time we went to bed, I think it was safe to say that we had BOTH lost our magic. On Saturday, things were looking a BIT better. Was it our imagination, or was the track turning westward? And the financial situation wasn't quite as bad as we'd thought earlier in the week. But the stress of the weather and money had definitely taken its toll. By Saturday night, the weather, at least, looked to be cooperating a little more. We decided that yes, we will still go. Sunday afternoon, I finished as much of the packing as could be done in advance. We had made our lists, checked them twice... but something was still missing.
What was missing? My magic. Where had our Disney high gone? How could I be two days away from WDW and NOT be excited about it?
When DS woke up from his nap, he asked to have a tea party. This is a fairly common practice at our house. I'm Alice, and he is the Mad Hatter. Well, while we're having tea, anyway. (We actually have multiple personalities at our house. The most common ones are: DS/Peter Pan; Me/Wendy; DH/Captain Hook~DS/Seven Dwarves (yep, all 7 of em); Me/Snow White; DH/The Witch (who knows why, but that's what DS has christened him)~DS/Charley (from the Santa Clause); Me/Judy the elf; DH/Santa Claus~DS/Michael Banks; Me/Mary Poppins; DH/Bert; DS/ Prince Philip; Me/Sleeping Beauty; DH/Well, he's not usually home when we play this one, so he doesn't have a part. I guess he could be either Maleficent or Flora, Fauna and Merryweather!) At any rate, Alice and the Mad Hatter sat having tea, and for the first time in two weeks, DS said, "Tell me what are we going to ride! Tell me who are we going to see!" We had not mentioned to him the possibility that we might not go...but children know more than we give them credit for... and I think that maybe he had lost a bit of his Disney Magic for a little while, too. So I drug out our Pictorial Memory of the Walt Disney World Resort and the PassPorter, and I tried to find MY Magic.
Yesterday, Monday, I got on the DISBoards for the first time in two weeks. I also listened to a Disney CD on the little player I keep at work. It wasn't back completely, but I was working on it. DH seemed to be doing better than I was, and he was encouraging me... but that is really something you have to work out for yourself.
We all know that it is better to give than receive, right? And I started thinking about all the CMs who have been trying to make things magical for guests, even in the face of their own personal problems~maybe even personal disasters. And I thought, who *really* needs the Pixie Dust here? Me?...or the CMs? I have a few surprises tucked away for DS, and even one for DH. (If you're reading this, Babe, you will just have to wait and see!) We always try to talk to CMs but this time we will really make an effort. We have printed out some CM Appreciation Cards to pass out. We can try and help *them* have a magical day. After all, we still have a house! We still have the funds, short as they are, to enjoy a vacation. We still have each other! And... we've never yet had a BAD WDW trip!
I think that I am like a snowglobe...the pixie dust never *left* me, it had just all settled down in the bottom. With all the stress and worries, I didn't have the time or the inclination to shake it up...why? Because I was too caught up in myself, and my problems. When I started thinking how to bring some pixie dust to others, I realized that my own pixie dust was swirling again. In 2 minutes, I am leaving work. I will be home in 27 minutes. And 15 minutes after that, we will (hopefully) be pulling out of our driveway. We are on our way to The Magic...only this time, I'm bringing some of my own!
The Trip That Almost Wasn't
Cast:
Me: Rhonda/Mommy, 31, WDW Veteran (Trip #15?)
DH: Mark/Daddy, 32, WDW Veteran (Trip #20?)
DS: Wesley/Peter Pan, 2.5, WDW Veteran (Trip #4)
Last September, we broke down. We couldn't take it anymore. We HAD to have a Disney fix, even though we had sworn we would never take children there until they could walk on their own for 14 hours at a stretch. If they were already working and could pay their own way, so much the better! Yet there we were, with an 18 mo old who was obsessed with the Toy Story characters. So we did what any self-respecting parents would do: we went back on our word, and took him to Disney World. Oh, yeah...and we didn't tell anybody. After all, our son didn't know about this thing we had sworn, but everyone else did! And the trip was so great, so pleasant, so *magical*, that on the way home we decided that a September trip should become an annual tradition.
In April, events transpired to bring us back to The World, about 5 months before our planned trip. Two weekends in a row. (Trip reports on these 3 prior trips are posted on the Board already.) After that, we were certifiably Disney Crazy. I mean, we were already nuts about Disney, but after April, we were Disney Freaks. Our lives were one long Disney high. Anything could make us think of Disney. The main topic of conversation at our house was Disney. If you were with DS for more than 5 minutes, he would say, "Tell me what are we going to ride! Tell me who are we going to see!" And we were happy to oblige. DS memorized ride clips. He even learned the monorail lines~in Spanish! We memorized the Planning Video. All of us. Every second of it. We looked at our Pictorial Memory of the Walt Disney World Resort until its pages were tattered (it's great for keeping DS entertained on road trips). We pored over the PassPorter like we were first-timers. DH and I spent countless hours on the DISBoards. DH listened to Live365 constantly, and every time something we loved came on, he would call me, so I could hear it, too (no speakers at work for me). We made a CD of our favorite Disney songs to listen to in the car.
In May, we started planning our PSs ~ DS has gotten over his fear of the characters, and we thought that this would be the trip to do a ton of character meals. You know, before he outgrows the "realness" of the characters. We were still debating about where to stay. We've stayed at All Star Movies three times, so we thought maybe something different. Pop Century? Well, we're staying there in December, when we go with Mark's parents. Oh, well, we have time to decide.
The summer was crazy, but in June, we had circled the dates on the calendar when we needed to call to make PSs~DH got up EVERY morning at 7am to call...not just for our CRT and PSB days (yes, we're doing them both~DS is quite the ladies' man). He said it was all a part of the "experience". Well, lucky me, since he called from the bedroom, and not the den, I got to be a part of the "experience", as well.
In July, we started thinking again about which resort. DS is now more into Peter Pan than Toy Story, but he still gets a kick out of Andy's Room... and then September codes came out, and our decision was made: no rooms available at ASMo with the code for the dates we needed. So...Pop Century it is! After an initial mixup about what our rate actually would be, we got it all straightened out. Wow, were we pumped! 5 nights in the Magic, at least one PS every day, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, all our favorite rides and food, what could be better? (Well, okay, longer than 5 days would be better...but we do have a trip to the mountains coming up in 6 weeks, and another trip to WDW in December.) And suddenly, it was August!The first weekend of August, we were traveling south to my parents'. The 2 1/2 hour trip was spent~what else?~planning our trip (as if we hadn't been doing that for 11 months already!), and listening to our homemade Disney Favorites CD. The second weekend of August, we were traveling east to Mark's parents'. That trip was interesting for several reasons. One, we were trying to beat Tropical Storm Bonnie to Savannah. We expected to be in heavy rain the whole trip. Two, Hurricane Charley would likely impact Savannah as well, later in the weekend. Three, we would be helping to clean out Mark's grandfather's house (he is now in a nursing home; see my April trip reports), so things were bound to be emotional. We started out, as always, talking about the upcoming WDW trip and listening to the Disney CD. It did rain most of the way, but nothing terrible. Once we got there, we did have some bad weather that night, but most of it seemed to pass by morning, just some lingering rain. And then, we hear that Charley has headed~straight for WDW!!! Now, my inlaws like Disney as much as the next person...after all, they have agreed to take us in December as our Christmas gift...but they don't really *get* it, you know...they don't understand our *fascination*...okay, our *addiction*. So it was very furtively that DH sneaked off to the computer to check on our beloved second home (we wish). It seemed that things were okay, no major damage, anyway. We breathed a sigh of relief. And Savannah didn't get anything from Charley at all, which was another relief (especially for my MIL!).
The next weekend was fairly uneventful. But on Monday morning, DH got an email from someone in our church (DH is a pastor). This person was going to pay for DH to attend one of the training seminars that the Disney Institute offers. This was a dream come true for DH, he has wanted to do this for ages. There were two options: one, in January, at Coronado Springs. The other, in February, at The Boardwalk. For the same price! We're headed to the Boardwalk!!! Even better, we will be able to celebrate DS' 3rd birthday while we're there! Let me tell you, the Disney high doesn't get much, umm...higher...than that! Three trips within 6 months, only one of which we had to pay for! We spent the week in a happy Disney-induced fog.
The following Sunday afternoon, DH called me from the church. "Can you check The Weather Channel? Time for the Tropical Update...I think Frances could be a problem." This was the same weekend that Tropical Storm Gaston was dumping inches and inches of rain on the Carolinas. And sure enough, Frances was suddenly becoming a real threat. We spent the week anxiously checking the projected path and worrying~about WDW, of course, but more importantly for all those who were still trying to recover from Charley. As the weekend drew nearer, we realize a new threat. TWO landfalls are expected from Frances, and the second one will likely affect US! We agonized with everyone else as Frances churned off the coast, just prolonging the inevitable. And on Monday night (Labor Day), we stood on our front porch and watched tropical storm force winds blow the pecan limbs ever closer to the power lines, while sheets of rain pelted down. It was about that time that most of our county lost power. Thankfully, we never did. A huge pecan limb *just* missed falling on the power lines in our front yard. Now you should know that we really enjoy storms. Nothing like a good rainy Saturday, when you can sit at home, drinking hot cocoa, watching football and listening to the rain. Nothing like a late afternoon thunderstorm, watching an awesome lightning display dance in the sky. Frances was an awesome force, all right...but not something we care to repeat! And that was as a TROPICAL STORM, NOT A HURRICANE! On Tuesday, neither of us worked, because both the church and my office were without power. We spent the day alternately watching The Weather Channel and The Santa Clause. (Yes, I KNOW it is only September, but it is one of DS' favorite movies!) And while Frances is still the Big Story, now they are also talking about Ivan. And the formerly benign Ivan, who was sooooo far south, and could not possibly pose a threat to the US, was all at once posing a HUGE threat to the US...more specifically, central FL! This could not be happening. 3 landfalling hurricanes, in a month's time, affecting the same areas? We are no strangers to hurricanes. We have friends and relatives all over FL, from Miami to Pensacola. My parents live just north of Tallahassee (just across the GA line), and are only about 50 miles from the coast. We have felt the aftereffects of hurricanes before. Mark's parents, in Savannah, of course, are ON the coast. We lived in Savannah ourselves for 3 years, and were part of the mass evacuation of the east coast for 1999's Hurricane Floyd. This was just getting crazy.
And so it was on Tuesday night (when we had already begun packing) that the question first arose: Should we reschedule? Now really, this was silly, because we *know* that an exact projection path is just not possible that far out. On Wednesday, we were still discussing it. On Thursday, we brought our calendars home to see when we could possibly reschedule. DH called to check on PS availability for the following week. Nothing, for what we wanted. That same day, I realized that, due to some unexpected financial situations, we would not have as much money to play with at WDW, anyway. And, we still had to buy tires for the car before we left. It was already depressing to walk into the bedroom and see those partially packed suitcases, and wonder if we would need them in a week's time. And then the question became, should we do the unthinkable and CANCEL? No, we agreed. We just have to wait and see. That's just how it is with hurricanes. Wait and see. There were a couple of PS that *could* be cancelled, if necessary, once we arrive, to save on our expenses. IF we arrive. Friday night, DH had to suffer through that awful FSU loss (he's an FSU alum). By the time we went to bed, I think it was safe to say that we had BOTH lost our magic. On Saturday, things were looking a BIT better. Was it our imagination, or was the track turning westward? And the financial situation wasn't quite as bad as we'd thought earlier in the week. But the stress of the weather and money had definitely taken its toll. By Saturday night, the weather, at least, looked to be cooperating a little more. We decided that yes, we will still go. Sunday afternoon, I finished as much of the packing as could be done in advance. We had made our lists, checked them twice... but something was still missing.
What was missing? My magic. Where had our Disney high gone? How could I be two days away from WDW and NOT be excited about it?
When DS woke up from his nap, he asked to have a tea party. This is a fairly common practice at our house. I'm Alice, and he is the Mad Hatter. Well, while we're having tea, anyway. (We actually have multiple personalities at our house. The most common ones are: DS/Peter Pan; Me/Wendy; DH/Captain Hook~DS/Seven Dwarves (yep, all 7 of em); Me/Snow White; DH/The Witch (who knows why, but that's what DS has christened him)~DS/Charley (from the Santa Clause); Me/Judy the elf; DH/Santa Claus~DS/Michael Banks; Me/Mary Poppins; DH/Bert; DS/ Prince Philip; Me/Sleeping Beauty; DH/Well, he's not usually home when we play this one, so he doesn't have a part. I guess he could be either Maleficent or Flora, Fauna and Merryweather!) At any rate, Alice and the Mad Hatter sat having tea, and for the first time in two weeks, DS said, "Tell me what are we going to ride! Tell me who are we going to see!" We had not mentioned to him the possibility that we might not go...but children know more than we give them credit for... and I think that maybe he had lost a bit of his Disney Magic for a little while, too. So I drug out our Pictorial Memory of the Walt Disney World Resort and the PassPorter, and I tried to find MY Magic.
Yesterday, Monday, I got on the DISBoards for the first time in two weeks. I also listened to a Disney CD on the little player I keep at work. It wasn't back completely, but I was working on it. DH seemed to be doing better than I was, and he was encouraging me... but that is really something you have to work out for yourself.
We all know that it is better to give than receive, right? And I started thinking about all the CMs who have been trying to make things magical for guests, even in the face of their own personal problems~maybe even personal disasters. And I thought, who *really* needs the Pixie Dust here? Me?...or the CMs? I have a few surprises tucked away for DS, and even one for DH. (If you're reading this, Babe, you will just have to wait and see!) We always try to talk to CMs but this time we will really make an effort. We have printed out some CM Appreciation Cards to pass out. We can try and help *them* have a magical day. After all, we still have a house! We still have the funds, short as they are, to enjoy a vacation. We still have each other! And... we've never yet had a BAD WDW trip!
I think that I am like a snowglobe...the pixie dust never *left* me, it had just all settled down in the bottom. With all the stress and worries, I didn't have the time or the inclination to shake it up...why? Because I was too caught up in myself, and my problems. When I started thinking how to bring some pixie dust to others, I realized that my own pixie dust was swirling again. In 2 minutes, I am leaving work. I will be home in 27 minutes. And 15 minutes after that, we will (hopefully) be pulling out of our driveway. We are on our way to The Magic...only this time, I'm bringing some of my own!
