Reunions, Honeymoons and firsttimers! One busy week at the mouse!

[jettyspagetti]

Update:sept 5th- trip cancelled
My Pre Trip Report: September 14th to 19th


Cast of Characters:
Me! I’ve been a Disney lover since my first trip in 8th grade back in the 80s. I managed to go back for several one day trips through high school with the school band and with friends. I had a one week stay over Spring Break in 89 and finally saw all the parks in one week. In 2003 my company sent all its managers to WDW for a conference on Customer Service and I became obsessed with taking my family there.

My husband, not quite as obsessed as me, thank God! But still succumbs to the magic of those Disney commercials. You know the ones where when the music starts you start calculating how you can afford to go and start a planning binder even if its not a booked trip-or maybe that;s just me!LOL.

Our son, 9 years old. Never met a stranger and doesn’t understand the word shy. Star Wars and Lego obsessed. If we could just ride Star Tours and visit the lego store every day, his vacation will be complete. Last trip he saved his allowance and birthday money for 6 months and managed to save up $210 to blow at the Lego Store. It only took about twenty minutes too.

Our Daughter, 3 and a half going on 16. She already knows everything and is an expert in eye rolling. She doesn’t know the word FEAR. Loves every ride and was very mad that she wasn’t tall enough to do a few last time. This time she’s at 40 inches in her bare feet so she’ll be able to do most of the rides.

Our first and only family vacation that didn’t involve going somewhere across the country to visit relatives was to WDW in 2005. We had one week at the carribean Beach Resort-room 2525 in Martinique, which was AWESOME! Nothing like having Disney fun all day and pretending you are in the Carribean the rest of the time! Since that visit I have dreamed of going back!

We had a wonderful time for the most part except between a bit of leftover postpartum depression and my anal retentive obsessive planning and worrying about everything took some of my joy from the trip. This time I vow to RELAX. Well within reason, since I still have touring plans for the mornings and ADRs to make but I will not let my planning get in the way of having fun!

This trip is also during free dining,  and this time we are staying at Pop Century. We let the kids pick and its looks nice enough for the time we will spend in our rooms. 6 days and 5 nights with one park per day tickets. Last time we had park hoppers but we didn’t really use that option very much.


Its actually a funny story how this trip was planned…
My youngest sister is getting married on September 12th. She originally really wanted a Disney Fairytale Wedding. The one and only time she has ever been to Disney is when I took her for her 7th birthday when I was 16. We lived just 3 hours away so it wasn’t too hard to manage! We only did Magic Kingdom and the year after our family moved back to our original hometown of Buffalo, NY so she never made it back. Her finace is also from the Buffalo area and knew there was no way that his family would make the trek to the World for a wedding. Of course he hasn’t ever been so he doesn’t know the power of the Mouse! They were enganged November 3rd of 2008 on the 7th anniversary of their first date.
Since I knew she really wanted Disney. I encouraged her to book a Disney Honeymoon.(but also to wait until June for the free dining announcement!) I also started saving for the big trip for North Florida to Buffalo for my family. After they booked the honeymoon, I had to start helping her plan for the Disney trip, sending her all my fave links and tips and directing her on which books to buy, etc, that’s what older sisters are for! Unasked for advice!!
My husband kept joking that we should all go to Disney and have a surprise reception for them there. (it’s about 6 hours from our house to the Mouse and our other sister –more Disney obsessed than me-lives a few miles from us). We would joke during our weekly wedding planning phone calls. (I’m the matron of honor and as our mother has passed away also filling that role in the planning process) Then the first week of July she dropped the bombshell “ I told (fiancé) about our joke where you show up at Disney on our Honeymoon and he thinks it’s a great idea!” So we started seriously discussing how it could happen and all the details and set up rules –I mean its their honeymoon so we aren’t gonna spend every minute together! And decided which parks on which days and which meals we would want. Now I’ve been saving for close to a year to pay for a family trip to Buffalo for three days for a wedding which my children (who are enthusiastic and energetic to the extreme) would probably only get to spend an hour or two with their beloved Aunt and Uncle. So the hard decision was made to have me alone at the wedding and then all of us meet them at WDW and have a big celebration dinner and really get to spend some fun time together. Then we got the other sister in on it, so for the first time ever all three sisters and families will be on vacation together!

So newly weds arrive on the 14th flying in and staying at POFQ. We drive in on the 14th and stay at POP and other sis drives in on the 16th and is staying at the Doubletree and Nick Hotel.

Our plan is to meet up at SCi Fi Dine In Theater for ADRs at 8pm on the 14th.

So now I get to pack for a three day trip to Buffalo, fly in, do all the fun wedding stuff, fly out the next morning, get home around 4pm see the kids, love on em , take em somewhere to wear them out, do laundry, pack the car, get a few hours of sleep.

The plan is to leave at 3am and get to the mouse by 10am


I've had our bags packed for about two months, so I am a wee bit excited!!

 

[jettyspagetti]

SO far our itinerary looks like this:
mon sept 14th- leave house around 3am. Hopefully the kids will sleep a bit in the car on the way there but I also bought some great lapdesk type boxes from the craft store and have stocked them full of car games, crayons, etc. the oldest has a copy of the Guide to the magic for kids and I have made trip journals for both kids. We should roll into the world around 10am, check in to Pop and head over to DHS. We will prob go back to the resort for a few hours and then return in time for our 8pm ADR at Sci Fi- this is when we meet up with first sister and husband. Its an EMH at DHS tonight. We usually don't do the Eve EMH because we are early risers but I think the excitement will pull us through!

Tues Sept 15th
Magic Kingdom today!! It closes early because of MNSSHP, but a short day means we can get in a trip to DTD after dinner! WE will be here at opening and do mostly fantasy land and the smaller stuff. Our plan is to use the Unofficial Guide touring plans for optimal morning touring and then relax more as it gets more crowded. Our kids love crowds and people watching and will talk to everyone so waiting in line isn't a huge deal for us although I'd rather do the rides in the AM and then shop and catch shows in the crowded part of the day. The newly weds are heading over to Le Cellier (they have Park hoppers for the trip) and we will go to Crystal Palace for lunch. The kids loved it on the last trip. Since its a short park day we prob won't head back for a nap until the DD gets tired. We will follow her lead. Then later we might head over to DTD and let the boy have his fill of Legos and Once Upon A Toy.

Wed Sept 16th
EPCOT,Get ready to EAT!! My husband really looks forwards to Epcot TS meals. I am not an adventurous cook or eater and the area we live in on the Gulf caters mostly to tourists wanting seafood. Hubby looks forward to some variety! And some steak. We have ADRs for Le cellier for the four of us for lunch and Teppan Edo with the newlyweds for a late dinner. We will be here at opening, tour for a few hours, eat a lovely meal, head back to the resort to swim and nap, return to the park and eat dinner and tour in the evening.
Second sis and her family arrive today, we may see them after dinner.

Thurs sept 17
Animal Kingdom. The last trip we didn't see much of AK. We were there for rope drop but I had a huge anxiety attack after forgetting the touring plan at the hotel, also had insanly early ADR for Rainforest Cafe and the kids were cranky so we only spent two hours here last time. We did Killamanjaro Safari and hubby and son did EE. DD and I spent most of the time at the boneyard. I am hoping to tour most of the park before our 2:30 ADr at Yak and Yeti. Then ride KRR, get soaked and head back for a nap. If we don't make it to DTD on tues we will head there tonight. WE will meet up with Second sister some time today

Fri Sept 18th
Epcot again! First sis leaves today so before they go we are going to have a lunch at Rose and Crown with all the families. Later we have ADRs at Coral Reef for our four. My son really wants to do this restaurant as we were seated right at the tank last time, hubby would rather skip it since his meal was rather mediocre last time.

Sat Sept 19th
THis is our last day
We will be at MK at opening! Tour til the kids get hot and tired and head back home.

 

[jettyspagetti]

Well its not to be. My husband was laid off on friday. Vacation is cancelled. The worst part is that he works for my bro in law and BIL apparantly felt he didn't need to give us any notice whatsoever. I will still be going to the wedding, but we had to cancel the Disney trip. We were able to get a refund minus $100 cancelation fee and that cash will help til hubby finds work. He has an interview wednesday so we will keep our hopes up and "keep moving foward"!!

Poor baby sis has her disney wedding reception dreams pretty well smashed at this point as BIL is still taking his family to Disney but "at a later date" meaning the week after the wedding. What &(*^&^%^& they are.