jennymouse
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2001
- Messages
- 4,175
Your Cast of Characters:
Me- 45 year old daughter, mother and grandmother to two. Disney nut and DVC owner.
Dad-80 years old who hasn't been to WDW since it was just MK. Thinks 7 days is far too long a trip and worried he'll get bored. Thinks WDW is just for kids. Is thinking this will be his last vacation before he dies. He's in perfect health.
This was supposed to be my October 2003 adult only vacation, but things have a way of changing don't they. I usually take my now 9 year old granddaughter Skye with me, but I wanted an adult, possibly solo, trip to see what I wanted to see when I wanted to see it and without a figetty kid wanting to ride more rides. Don't get me wrong, I love that kid and rides too, but there are other things that I've never gotten a chance to experience. Read, wants to go to the Adventurers Club!
Life for our family has been rough and with lots of changes in 2003. My mother passed away in May from cancer and I sold my house and moved in with Dad not so much to take care of him but for company and to help him care for the big house and garden. Things have been working out pretty good by the way. We did have a very good thing happen in 2003. My daughter gave birth to my new granddaughter, Haley, in November. We named her Haley "Maxine" for my mother. I can not wait to brainwas...err, I mean, introduce her to Disney!
When I booked this trip for October 2003, I asked Dad to go. He really needed to get away, but he refused. He's been though so much that I didn't want to pressure him, but I did ask a few times, "Are you sure?" and always got "I'm too old. That place is just fantasy, it's for kids, I won't like it." yada, yada, yada. So, I asked my friend Dave who lives in Colorado. He said he probably would go, but it was too far away to think about right then. Unlike us smart folks here on the DIS, I've found that most people don't plan thier vacations but a month or so in advance.
In the meantime, my daughter is getting hormonal with the pregnancy. If you happen to have read my October 2002 trip report, you know just how hormonal she can get. She calls me crying and doesn't want me to go in October because it's too close to her due date and she's afraid she'll go into labor while I'm gone. I was going at the end of October and she wasn't due until the end of November, but fine, I know with a second child, or any, that she could go early so I changed the ressie to a studio at BCV for February 1-6.
When I booked the studio for February, I even went ahead and bought my airfare too. When I buy the air, my plans are final, no changing. I was even sort of planning a solo trip in my head. If Dave decided to come, fine, if not, that was fine too. I don't like to use weekend points as I only have a small 150 point contract and I decided 5 days wasn't enough time so I booked January 30th & 31st at the WL since I hadn't stayed there yet.
A few months passed and I still hadn't gotten a yes/no from Dave. Dad asked me about it and I told him that if Dave didn't go I'd just go by myself and that was okay. He said, "If Dave doesn't go, I'll go. It's too dangerous for you to go alone." "No it's not. I feel very safe, Dad. Really. There's people on the DISboards who go solo all the time. I can do it. It'll be nice." "No, it's dangerous. If Dave doesn't go, I'll go." That's when it hit me, that he's actually WANTING to go now. But, of course he's not going to admit that, and still hasn't by the way. Stubborn old fart.
I jumped right on it and got another plane ticket for Dad on the same flights and reserved a ECV for the week. Dad can walk, but he can't Disney walk. If Dave wanted to come too, that's fine, he can just bring an air mattress. I had the feeling he was going to talk himself out of it anyway...and he did.
So here I am planning a trip for Dad and I and he doesn't want to talk planning and Disney with me. He's worried that 7 days is way too long and he's sure he'll get bored. I told him that there was 4 parks now instead of 1 and lots of other stuff too, but of course I don't know what the heck I'm talking about. I gave him my Unoffical Guide to read all about it. I didn't think he was reading it for a while, but I came downstairs and caught him a couple times. Then, he started talking. He doesn't want to go to Animal Kingdom, but he wants to go to Sea World. And he's found a show he wants to see and points it out as he can't pronounce it. He wants to go see Cirque du Soliel! I call and order tickets for our last night.
Now all this time he's still acting like he's being forced to go. He doesn't really want to go, he's just going because he doesn't want me to go alone. He's not a bit excited. But, he wants to go buy a new set of luggage, and new clothes and shoes to take on the trip. And he's starting to grumble about how much this is all going to cost even though he hasn't paid for anything. He thinks this DVC thing is some sort of scam and can't believe we won't have to pay for the accomodations. He's insisting on paying for half even though I told him the trip was on me. We argue about this for a few weeks...not really argue, but you know what I mean. He gave me a check for his plane ticket and park hopper pass. I just stuck it in my wallet and didn't cash it.
I sell on ebay. I bought an old crow figurine from the movie Dumbo at an estate auction for $20. When I bought it, I knew that collectors bought old Disney stuff on ebay, but didn't really know what this thing was worth as was worried that I'd overpaid. When I got it home and saw that it had been broke and repaired, I figured I'd just lost $20 but was glad it wasn't more. I did some research anyway and found out this crow was made by Vernon Kilns sometime between 1940-1942 and that it might still sell so I went ahead and listed it on Thanksgiving night to end the following Thursday. The day after I listed it, I logged on to ebay and saw that the crow was bid up to over $100. And, I had an email from a woman in Chicago who said the crow was very rare and booked for $2000+! I knew that since it was repaired that it probably wouldn't bring that price, but Dad and I had fun watching the price grow all week and it ended up going for $1026! I gave Dad his check back and told him it was on the crow!
Our 90 day mark was approaching and I was trying to think of where I could get PS's that Dad would like. He's strickly a meat and potato kinda guy and doesn't like anything "weird." Plus, he tends to get ticked off if bread isn't offered at a meal. I think he's just used to having a piece in his left hand while he eats, but he's gotta have it. I've seen him cause a little bit of a stink in restaurants that don't serve bread.
I told him to pick some restaurants from the Unoffical Guide and that meals out were expensive in WDW and he was just going to have to accept that. He surprised me in some of his choices as I figured he'd just pick the cheapest. Among his choices were California Grill, Yachtsman's Steakhouse, Chef de France, Beirgarten, Artist Point, Le Cellier, Liberty Tree Tavern. I didn't want him to go into sticker shock so I even printed the menus for him to approve. I guess he's thinking the crow would pay for the food too so he okayed them and I made the PS's. I even snuck in a breakfast at the castle!LOL Do all of those places serve bread with the meal? For thier sake, I hope so!
In the meantime, my granddaughter, Skye, can't believe that we're going on a WDW trip without her. I think she still thinks were going to take her at the last minute as a surprise. Now, don't feel too sorry for her. I'm taking her and two of her friends in June...along with her mother and baby Haley for her first trip. Plus, Skye's going on a Disney cruise in November with her other grandparents.
So here we are. Haley was born, Christmas and New Years is over, I stripped wallpaper and repainted the den, I've got my Ebay sales all shipped off, and we're ready to go. But wait, Dad gets a cold on Monday, then I hurt my back somehow, and then I catch Dad's cold on Wednesday. I can't stand for more than a couple minutes before pain starts shooting from the left side of my lower back down my left leg.
All week long I've been snorting Zicam, taking Ibuprophen and trying to take it easy. Both our colds are easing up, but my back pain is still there. 
We're getting on that plane tomorrow afternoon no matter what. But I must say, I'm a little bit apprehensive about this trip. Even though I've done my research about how to handle and get around WDW with an ECV (and even had to use one myself one time. See June 2003 trip report where I lost the skin off the insides of my thighs.) I'm still worried Dad'll get nervous and end up in the lake trying to manuver the boat ramps at WL & BCV or go rolling uncontrollably down the monorail ramp or run over some unsuspecting bystander. All these possibilities keep running through my head.
Will it all work out? We'll just have to wait and see!
Me- 45 year old daughter, mother and grandmother to two. Disney nut and DVC owner.
Dad-80 years old who hasn't been to WDW since it was just MK. Thinks 7 days is far too long a trip and worried he'll get bored. Thinks WDW is just for kids. Is thinking this will be his last vacation before he dies. He's in perfect health.
This was supposed to be my October 2003 adult only vacation, but things have a way of changing don't they. I usually take my now 9 year old granddaughter Skye with me, but I wanted an adult, possibly solo, trip to see what I wanted to see when I wanted to see it and without a figetty kid wanting to ride more rides. Don't get me wrong, I love that kid and rides too, but there are other things that I've never gotten a chance to experience. Read, wants to go to the Adventurers Club!
Life for our family has been rough and with lots of changes in 2003. My mother passed away in May from cancer and I sold my house and moved in with Dad not so much to take care of him but for company and to help him care for the big house and garden. Things have been working out pretty good by the way. We did have a very good thing happen in 2003. My daughter gave birth to my new granddaughter, Haley, in November. We named her Haley "Maxine" for my mother. I can not wait to brainwas...err, I mean, introduce her to Disney!
When I booked this trip for October 2003, I asked Dad to go. He really needed to get away, but he refused. He's been though so much that I didn't want to pressure him, but I did ask a few times, "Are you sure?" and always got "I'm too old. That place is just fantasy, it's for kids, I won't like it." yada, yada, yada. So, I asked my friend Dave who lives in Colorado. He said he probably would go, but it was too far away to think about right then. Unlike us smart folks here on the DIS, I've found that most people don't plan thier vacations but a month or so in advance.
In the meantime, my daughter is getting hormonal with the pregnancy. If you happen to have read my October 2002 trip report, you know just how hormonal she can get. She calls me crying and doesn't want me to go in October because it's too close to her due date and she's afraid she'll go into labor while I'm gone. I was going at the end of October and she wasn't due until the end of November, but fine, I know with a second child, or any, that she could go early so I changed the ressie to a studio at BCV for February 1-6.
When I booked the studio for February, I even went ahead and bought my airfare too. When I buy the air, my plans are final, no changing. I was even sort of planning a solo trip in my head. If Dave decided to come, fine, if not, that was fine too. I don't like to use weekend points as I only have a small 150 point contract and I decided 5 days wasn't enough time so I booked January 30th & 31st at the WL since I hadn't stayed there yet.
A few months passed and I still hadn't gotten a yes/no from Dave. Dad asked me about it and I told him that if Dave didn't go I'd just go by myself and that was okay. He said, "If Dave doesn't go, I'll go. It's too dangerous for you to go alone." "No it's not. I feel very safe, Dad. Really. There's people on the DISboards who go solo all the time. I can do it. It'll be nice." "No, it's dangerous. If Dave doesn't go, I'll go." That's when it hit me, that he's actually WANTING to go now. But, of course he's not going to admit that, and still hasn't by the way. Stubborn old fart.
I jumped right on it and got another plane ticket for Dad on the same flights and reserved a ECV for the week. Dad can walk, but he can't Disney walk. If Dave wanted to come too, that's fine, he can just bring an air mattress. I had the feeling he was going to talk himself out of it anyway...and he did.
So here I am planning a trip for Dad and I and he doesn't want to talk planning and Disney with me. He's worried that 7 days is way too long and he's sure he'll get bored. I told him that there was 4 parks now instead of 1 and lots of other stuff too, but of course I don't know what the heck I'm talking about. I gave him my Unoffical Guide to read all about it. I didn't think he was reading it for a while, but I came downstairs and caught him a couple times. Then, he started talking. He doesn't want to go to Animal Kingdom, but he wants to go to Sea World. And he's found a show he wants to see and points it out as he can't pronounce it. He wants to go see Cirque du Soliel! I call and order tickets for our last night.
Now all this time he's still acting like he's being forced to go. He doesn't really want to go, he's just going because he doesn't want me to go alone. He's not a bit excited. But, he wants to go buy a new set of luggage, and new clothes and shoes to take on the trip. And he's starting to grumble about how much this is all going to cost even though he hasn't paid for anything. He thinks this DVC thing is some sort of scam and can't believe we won't have to pay for the accomodations. He's insisting on paying for half even though I told him the trip was on me. We argue about this for a few weeks...not really argue, but you know what I mean. He gave me a check for his plane ticket and park hopper pass. I just stuck it in my wallet and didn't cash it.
I sell on ebay. I bought an old crow figurine from the movie Dumbo at an estate auction for $20. When I bought it, I knew that collectors bought old Disney stuff on ebay, but didn't really know what this thing was worth as was worried that I'd overpaid. When I got it home and saw that it had been broke and repaired, I figured I'd just lost $20 but was glad it wasn't more. I did some research anyway and found out this crow was made by Vernon Kilns sometime between 1940-1942 and that it might still sell so I went ahead and listed it on Thanksgiving night to end the following Thursday. The day after I listed it, I logged on to ebay and saw that the crow was bid up to over $100. And, I had an email from a woman in Chicago who said the crow was very rare and booked for $2000+! I knew that since it was repaired that it probably wouldn't bring that price, but Dad and I had fun watching the price grow all week and it ended up going for $1026! I gave Dad his check back and told him it was on the crow!
Our 90 day mark was approaching and I was trying to think of where I could get PS's that Dad would like. He's strickly a meat and potato kinda guy and doesn't like anything "weird." Plus, he tends to get ticked off if bread isn't offered at a meal. I think he's just used to having a piece in his left hand while he eats, but he's gotta have it. I've seen him cause a little bit of a stink in restaurants that don't serve bread.
I told him to pick some restaurants from the Unoffical Guide and that meals out were expensive in WDW and he was just going to have to accept that. He surprised me in some of his choices as I figured he'd just pick the cheapest. Among his choices were California Grill, Yachtsman's Steakhouse, Chef de France, Beirgarten, Artist Point, Le Cellier, Liberty Tree Tavern. I didn't want him to go into sticker shock so I even printed the menus for him to approve. I guess he's thinking the crow would pay for the food too so he okayed them and I made the PS's. I even snuck in a breakfast at the castle!LOL Do all of those places serve bread with the meal? For thier sake, I hope so!
In the meantime, my granddaughter, Skye, can't believe that we're going on a WDW trip without her. I think she still thinks were going to take her at the last minute as a surprise. Now, don't feel too sorry for her. I'm taking her and two of her friends in June...along with her mother and baby Haley for her first trip. Plus, Skye's going on a Disney cruise in November with her other grandparents.
So here we are. Haley was born, Christmas and New Years is over, I stripped wallpaper and repainted the den, I've got my Ebay sales all shipped off, and we're ready to go. But wait, Dad gets a cold on Monday, then I hurt my back somehow, and then I catch Dad's cold on Wednesday. I can't stand for more than a couple minutes before pain starts shooting from the left side of my lower back down my left leg.
All week long I've been snorting Zicam, taking Ibuprophen and trying to take it easy. Both our colds are easing up, but my back pain is still there. We're getting on that plane tomorrow afternoon no matter what. But I must say, I'm a little bit apprehensive about this trip. Even though I've done my research about how to handle and get around WDW with an ECV (and even had to use one myself one time. See June 2003 trip report where I lost the skin off the insides of my thighs.) I'm still worried Dad'll get nervous and end up in the lake trying to manuver the boat ramps at WL & BCV or go rolling uncontrollably down the monorail ramp or run over some unsuspecting bystander. All these possibilities keep running through my head.
Will it all work out? We'll just have to wait and see!
Hi Jennymouse
Enid
