Hello DISers!! We've never done a trip report (well, wrote it but never posted it), so bear with us!
I'm Tree, DH is Duke, and we have two beautiful daughters! We live in Northern Minnesota. I have a teaching degree, but I work in insurance. Duke is a computer engineer. Our two girls are Hannah and Sephrya. Rounding our the family is our cocker spaniel Kermit the dog, Sparkles the cat, and a cockatiel named Al.
Prior to having kids, Duke and I have gone to WDW twice as a couple. Since we've had kids, we've headed to WDW 3 times...without them! Our beautiful daughters are now almost 4 and 7, so we're taking the plunge and bringing them with us this time!
Our plan had been to wait until our youngest was around 7 before bringing them. We had the idea that we wanted them to not need a stroller, be able to read if she got separated from us, carry their own backpacks, all of those types of things. So, we were thinking 2013 would be the year we headed down with the girls. (Are you laughing yet?
)
In October of 2010 we purchased DVC. Surprise, 2013 seemed like much too long of a wait! Many of you are addicts like us, so I am certain that you can relate. I suppose we COULD have gone again without our girls, but we were starting to feel a bit badly about always leaving them home.
And, the planning started! We are low crowd people, so we have always gone and plan to go during low crowd times if at all possible. Our girls are young enough yet that missing school isn't really an issue. Duke and I have been twice while WDW was decorated for Christmas, and our girls are young enough to really enjoy Halloween...so a Halloween trip was planned!
I am blessed to have a wonderful mother-in-law who will be joining us! We've traveled to WDW with her before (pre-kids), and she is so excited to be able to experience the girls' first trip. We are grateful to have another set of hands and eyes to help with the girls, too!
We'll be leaving our town in Northern Minnesota Friday (Oct 21) afternoon (no school on Friday), driving a few hours to Minneapolis and staying overnight at a hotel near the airport and Mall of America. Our routine is to always bum around the MOA the night before the trip and buy any last minute items, get some coffee to bring to the resort, and walk as much as we can to tire us out for an early bedtime.
The next morning, we will hop on a plane to WDW! We hope to arrive at AKL around 4pm...the plan for that night is to check out to resort, swim, and get a good night's sleep! The next morning before heading to the parks, we need to check out of our 'regular' DVC room and check in to our CLUB level room!! We are really looking forward to this!
Duke and I have annual passes this year, but the girls and my MIL don't. To try and save a bit of money, we did not purchase the park hopper option on their tickets. The days are set up as:
Sunday: Epcot (lunch at Askerhaus)
Monday: MK!! (lunch at CRT)
Tuesday: AK (breakfast at Tusker House)
Wednesday: MK in the morning for all of us; Duke and I will head to Epcot in the evening to enjoy the Food and Wine festival while MIL stays back with the girls
Thursday: DHS for just two rides in the morning (MIL with the girls again...isn't she wonderful!?) Lunch at WCC...then we all head over for the Halloween party at MK!
Friday: Head back to Minnesota
I will learn how to post/imbed/whatever pictures soon! We would love to hear your tips on the transition to touring without kids to with kids!
I'm Tree, DH is Duke, and we have two beautiful daughters! We live in Northern Minnesota. I have a teaching degree, but I work in insurance. Duke is a computer engineer. Our two girls are Hannah and Sephrya. Rounding our the family is our cocker spaniel Kermit the dog, Sparkles the cat, and a cockatiel named Al.
Prior to having kids, Duke and I have gone to WDW twice as a couple. Since we've had kids, we've headed to WDW 3 times...without them! Our beautiful daughters are now almost 4 and 7, so we're taking the plunge and bringing them with us this time!
Our plan had been to wait until our youngest was around 7 before bringing them. We had the idea that we wanted them to not need a stroller, be able to read if she got separated from us, carry their own backpacks, all of those types of things. So, we were thinking 2013 would be the year we headed down with the girls. (Are you laughing yet?
) In October of 2010 we purchased DVC. Surprise, 2013 seemed like much too long of a wait! Many of you are addicts like us, so I am certain that you can relate. I suppose we COULD have gone again without our girls, but we were starting to feel a bit badly about always leaving them home.
And, the planning started! We are low crowd people, so we have always gone and plan to go during low crowd times if at all possible. Our girls are young enough yet that missing school isn't really an issue. Duke and I have been twice while WDW was decorated for Christmas, and our girls are young enough to really enjoy Halloween...so a Halloween trip was planned!
I am blessed to have a wonderful mother-in-law who will be joining us! We've traveled to WDW with her before (pre-kids), and she is so excited to be able to experience the girls' first trip. We are grateful to have another set of hands and eyes to help with the girls, too!
We'll be leaving our town in Northern Minnesota Friday (Oct 21) afternoon (no school on Friday), driving a few hours to Minneapolis and staying overnight at a hotel near the airport and Mall of America. Our routine is to always bum around the MOA the night before the trip and buy any last minute items, get some coffee to bring to the resort, and walk as much as we can to tire us out for an early bedtime.
The next morning, we will hop on a plane to WDW! We hope to arrive at AKL around 4pm...the plan for that night is to check out to resort, swim, and get a good night's sleep! The next morning before heading to the parks, we need to check out of our 'regular' DVC room and check in to our CLUB level room!! We are really looking forward to this!
Duke and I have annual passes this year, but the girls and my MIL don't. To try and save a bit of money, we did not purchase the park hopper option on their tickets. The days are set up as:
Sunday: Epcot (lunch at Askerhaus)
Monday: MK!! (lunch at CRT)
Tuesday: AK (breakfast at Tusker House)
Wednesday: MK in the morning for all of us; Duke and I will head to Epcot in the evening to enjoy the Food and Wine festival while MIL stays back with the girls
Thursday: DHS for just two rides in the morning (MIL with the girls again...isn't she wonderful!?) Lunch at WCC...then we all head over for the Halloween party at MK!
Friday: Head back to Minnesota
I will learn how to post/imbed/whatever pictures soon! We would love to hear your tips on the transition to touring without kids to with kids!
