Q: Can You Plan A Trip In Three Months? A: Are We Going To Disney World?

[mouseforcemom]

Hello All, this is my first Pre-Trip report here. My DH called me from his office in Montana to our home in Indiana and said, "I miss you guys, I want to go back to Disney this fall, think you can start planning?" I was on it! LOL

First a little bit of a run down, there's me figment. I will turn 30 this year & have been to the World more times than I can count. I used to be a Cast Member before getting married and having kids, and I do have a profound love for visiting Disney World. Don't we all? My profession is Marketing and PR with a primary emphasis in Social Media. Yes, I get to play around on Photoshop & Dreamweaver and design marketing strategies for medium to large companies for Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Email Marketing, etc. It's a fun profession.

My DH goofyis in Oil & Gas Leasing, and is currently living 3 weeks out of the month in Montana on a huge project. So when he is here we try to maximize his time with the kids and family. He wasn't really BIG on Disney when we first met, but after our first trip with the kiddos in 2007, he couldn't wait to come back. Last time we rented a house off property, but this time I think I talked him into staying on property in a Moderate just for the convenience factor.

DS1, 7 stitch, and is ALL BOY! He loves Star Wars, Ghostbusters, Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean, anything Pixar, Harry Potter, Phineas & Ferb, the list could go on & on! He is going to be in 2nd Grade when we go and was 4 when we went before.

DS2, 5, will be 6 when we go dumbo. The baby of the family, but also our special needs kiddo. He is High Functioning Autistic with impulsivity problems and sensory integration disorder. He is in a normal classroom setting though and does pretty okay, though he does have the occasional melt down. We're working with his OT and ST now to develop a plan for September when we go for calming techniques while in the parks. But if there are any other ASD moms here with info or tips I would love to know! My youngest loves ANIMALS; ASD kiddos tend to obsess on certain topics and his area is anything that crawls, slithers or walks on all fours. Needless to say we'll have to drag him out of Animal Kingdom.

So that's the merry band of travelers we have set for our adventure. Now the real challenge, can we get all our ducks in a row in 3 months? I already emailed AAA with a basic outline of what we are looking for. We want to go during Free Dining as that seems like the best plan & the biggest savings. Also we're looking at Caribbean Beach or Port Orleans French Quarter. We want a quiet relaxing atmosphere when we come back from the parks (especially for our youngest) so we can unwind and recharge. The trickiest part of all of this for me is that the boys and I will be flying ot of Indianapolis and my DH will be flying out of Great Falls Montana, so we have to try and time the flights to arrive around the same time.

But, thank you in advance for reading. Next entries should be about firming up our plans, Disney Parks App reviews, and getting the boys their welcome gifts!

 

[mouseforcemom]

Our dates. We have gone back and forth on when we want to go, but the dates that keep seeming ideal for us are 9/19-9/24. We miss our anniversary by a few days, but I would rather not be at Disney over a weekend if I can help it just due to the crowds.

We haven't gotten a specific run down for parks yet. But I am thinking this:
Sunday Afternoon/Evening- Magic Kingdom
Monday- Epcot
Tuesday- DHS
Wednesday- Animal Kingdom
Thursday- Downtown Disney AM/ PM Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party
Friday-Magic Kingdom AM/ then to the airport. (We leave that evening)

I hate not having a morning at Magic Kingdom until Friday, but with MNSSHP and our arrival on Sunday it really cuts the Morning out of the equation. If we firm this up I'll start looking at ADRs!

 

[mouseforcemom]

And.... We're Back....

Sorry for the delay, but had to get a few dozen things lined out before proceeding on with our Trip Report, namely booking

But, we are officially booked at the All Star Movies (our moderate choices were booked solid for our week), and also my Grandma & Aunt will be staying at the All Star Movies that week as well. Also our dates had to shift to the last week of September due to my husbands work schedule and Relatives Travel Plans. So it all worked itself out in the wash.

But since I last wrote an entry we are over half paid on our trip and looking at the pros and cons of flying versus driving. I've also been concentrating on the boys' arrival gifts (Michael's is the Hookup, no kidding). I typically avoid Michael's mainly on price alone. But, I had to go in for some craft supplies and they have rows and rows of toys that are Disney themed. So if you are in the market for Toy Story crayons, Mickey Yo Yos, Lightening McQueen Bouncy Balls, etc. they have you covered, lol.

I'll post pics in my next entry mainly due to both boys being awake right now and those are part of the surprise.

I also made both of the kiddos Personalized Autograph Books. I think they turned out pretty well.

Sorry for the picture quality, took it with my iPhone which doesn't take the best pics.

I've also been putting together mouse ears, and trying to get an idea of what parks we want to go to on what days.

Anyone have an opinion on whether or not to avoid EMH? I'm all ears, no pun intended.

 

[mouseforcemom]

Ok, I think I have our days and parks figured out, whew.

Sunday when we arrive: Rest and Relax at the Resort, Grab a Bite, then Magic Kingdom for Evening EMH

Monday: Epcot, want to hit this early in the week as the latter part of the week will begin Food and Wine Fest.

Tuesday: We may go to a park, or just may relax as this evening we will go to MNSSHP!

Wednesday: Animal Kingdom

Thursday: DHS so we can get Fantasmic in on our last night.

Sorry had to type it somewhere while it was fresh in my head.

 

[mouseforcemom]

Big change. We are now going Halloween weekend through the first week of November! Plus we are now FLYING! Woohoo! Just paid off the entire trip yesterday including our airfare and have some cool surprises planned for our boys. Will post more later tonight!