Sept 2007 My Affair w/Mickey -- Complete!

[Marshay]

TR UPDATES
PTR Posts #1 - 144; TR begins Post #145
Chapter 1 - We're Off to Orlando (#145) Getting to the Airport
Chapter 2 - Orlando (#161 & 162 ) Planes, Trains, Automobiles and Stitch
Chapter 3 - How Many Doors Can One Place Have? (#178)
Chapter 4 - I Can Get Lost in Here! (#188)
Chapter 5 - Dreams and Meow! (#230)
Chapter 6 - Let's Sea the World ...or not (#252)
Chapter 7a - Haircut (#272)
Chapter 7b - THE Dream (#273)
Chapter 7c - On to THE Meal (#280)
Chapter 8 - Meeting the Characters (#328)
Chapter 9 - Princess, Pooh and Narcoosee (#356, #357 and #387)
Chapter 10 - Bumps and Booms (#402, #409, #413, #426)
Chapter 11a - Playin' in the Water (#458)
Chapter 11b - AKV (#461)
Chapter 12 - A Magical Day (#476)
Chapter 13 - Leaving the World (#513)
Chapter 14 - Final Thoughts and Pictures (#514)




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Hey, guys! Thanks for joining us on our September 2007 trip to WDW! We've been to Disney many times but this is our first time we are sharing in the DIS tradition of LGMHs plus we now own a piece of the magic!!

But before I get ahead of myself, let's start with introductions:

Me - I have two great parents who loved to go to Walt Disney World, so my love of Disney started as a child. Now I continue the tradition with my family. I'm a stay-at-home mom in my late 30's and love it!! I just started to get into crafting in the past 3 years. I am a planner (there I've said it). My favorite WDW moment & ride: watching the Castle at night and ToT.

DH - my husband Jerry is in his mid 40s and is a self-proclaimed computer geek and master of all obscure and obsolete information. He was never into Disney and assumed it was a place just for kids. Over the years he has grown to like Disney (not sure I can say love) but for very different reasons than I do. More on that later. Oh, and he is not a planner. His favorite WDW moment & ride: Pleasure Island and RnR.

DD- my DD just turned 2 years old and this will be her 2nd trip to Disney World (first one was at 3 months). She loves Mickey Mouse, Mickey's Castle (not Cinderella's mind you... ) and says she wants to swim and sleep in Mickey's castle. Her favorite WDW moment & ride: still TBD (last trip she liked giggling with mama on the bed and IASW).

Nana - my mother. She was a stay at home mom and is very musically talented. She plays the piano, is the church organist and sings in the choir. My mom has some health issues that can make walking difficult, so we treasure every trip she can make. Her favorite WDW moment & ride: touring the countries at Epcot while eating French pastries and Test Track.

Papa - my father. He is a country boy who grew up on the farm, went in the air force, sold Fuller Brush and worked for the State of PA until he retired. Give my dad "Old Country Buffet" and he is pleased...don't bother him with a Signature Restaurant. His favorite WDW moment & ride: Trails End Buffet and Splash Mountain.

 

[Marshay]

So sometime in early January, the following conversation occurred:

Me: [sleeping]

DH: [snuggle, snuggle]

Me: I'm sleeping.

DH: Oh, so then I guess you are too tired to talk about Disney.

Me: What?!?!?!?! I'm awake.

DH: Just joking.

Me:

DH: Well, I heard from a co-worker that Disney is making a timeshare at Animal Kingdom

Me: [WIDE AWAKE NOW but trying not to fall for the 2nd joke] Yeah, and?

DH: Well maybe you should look into it.

Me: [speechless]

Me: [still speechless]

Me: Ok

 

[Marshay]

So I go on-line and fill out the form for DVC information. If you haven't done this already -- do it! You'll receive an incredibly beautiful hardcover, coffee-table book.

So we were planning a trip to WDW in September and I was hoping to stay at the Polynesian, figuring with a small child, the monorail and boat access would be perfect. So we start figuring out a week at the Poly and come up with a few grand pricetag.

Then we compared that to owning DVC and realized that those few grand would be about 1/5 to 1/6th of owning DVC and having WDW vacations for the rest of our lives (or until 2057, when the contract expires.)

DH said he realized that we are going to go to WDW every few years, so why not go in style.

Oh, and the fact that the DVC 1 BR has a separate area for DD to sleep was really what sold it for us. No more having to go to bed when DD is going to bed. The in-room W/D, larger room, full kitchen, jacuzzi tub, king-size bed and ability to travel outside of WDW with our points were just bonuses!

 

[Marshay]

So we buy points at Saratoga Springs and add-on points at Animal Kingdom Villas. However, based on availability and points, we can stay at any of the DVCs or Disney resorts.

Then Nana tells Papa, hey, maybe this is something we should consider. After much deliberation and after they downsize their house, they are able to buy DVC resale at Boardwalk. Even though they are retired, they want to pay for all their future trips now so they don't have to worry about the costs in the future.

Woo Hoo!! Now why couldn't my parents buy into DVC when we were young kids?! All those off-site vacations could have been spent in the luxury of Disney!

 

[Marshay]

We are all going to Disney Sept 15-25th...actually my parents are going earlier and staying later since they're retired and they can do that! We are paying their stay with us using our points since my mom was kind enough to come live with us for 6 weeks when I had a herniated disc and couldn't take care of my DD.

Oh, one more thing...my parents are staying with us in a 2BR unit. This will be our first vacation with them in the same unit. We did vacation one other time at Disney with them but we were in different rooms.

So now we are up-to-date.

Hmmmm, what resort are you staying at? (No fair looking at my siggie!)
Are you doing any "Firsts" this trip?
And where are all those crafts you mentioned???

All this and more, in my next report!

 

[Avivasmom]

What a great DH you have..mine has no clue...he just comes when I tell him and goes with out asking.

How is your back doing?

 

[Marshay]

What a great DH you have..mine has no clue...he just comes when I tell him and goes with out asking.

How is your back doing?

Hey, my first poster!!!! Welcome!!

Yeah, my DH still hasn't learned the art of going along with me all the time but he is learning when it comes to Disney, I'm
on a mission! I still can't believe he ever mentioned DVC...I was too afraid to do that So he knows that I am now forever in his debt!

I see you've been to BC -- I cannot wait to go -- this will be our first time.

 

[Marshay]

forgot to mention, yes, thank the Lord, my back is better! I've been able to go back to exercising and rebuilding those muscles and core.

 

[Marshay]

Here is what we look like...if you're in Disney in mid-September and see us, please, please stop and say hello!!

DD - 2

Myself

DH

Nana and Papa (she really does like them!)

 

[Dcanoli]

Girl...I am loving your thread...I'm going to have to go and check out the other thread in your siggie!

Do you live in PA? We moved from there when I was five. (My Dad opened JCP stores.) Been in Georgia ever since!

I'm going to pass it along to my husband....I've been wanting to think about DVCs, but not sure he'd ever go for it! Maybe your little blog will help him start thinking about it!

Hey, I think you PM'd me....I'd better go read it!

Cya soon (maybe)! Deb

 

[Marshay]

Girl...I am loving your thread...I'm going to have to go and check out the other thread in your siggie!

Do you live in PA? We moved from there when I was five. (My Dad opened JCP stores.) Been in Georgia ever since!

I'm going to pass it along to my husband....I've been wanting to think about DVCs, but not sure he'd ever go for it! Maybe your little blog will help him start thinking about it!

Hey, I think you PM'd me....I'd better go read it!

Cya soon (maybe)! Deb

Hey, Deb! I grew up in Reading, PA (the pics above were taken in Ocean City, New Jersey and Washington, DC). We lived on JCP clothes since we are a tall family and they were one of the few stores 'back then and even today' to carry tall clothes.

If you have any ??? on DVC, just ask me --either on this thread or PM me. We waded through 2 months of questions, doubts, devils' advocate, etc until we made our decision.

The bottom line for us was if you can answer yes to the following (or most) questions, then you need DVC:

1) are you planning to go to WDW every year to every 3 years
2) are value rooms too small and do you really want to stay deluxe all the time
3) can you plan ahead of time and track points
4) can you afford to pay for DVC up front and the yearly maintenance fees

If so, then you really need to check DVC out. If not, then maybe DVC is not right for you.

 

[Goofyluver]

Great start!! And I'm sooooo jealous that you have DVC!!! I can't wait for your TR!

And your daughter is simply gorgeous!

 

[rentayenta]

Hi ya!!!! on the DVC! Your DD is darling and if I see you, I will for sure say hi!

 

[Trentmom]

Hey Marshay!!

Your shameless plug on my Pre Trip Report..Grab a Flashlight.....Trip Planned in the Dark...What Hubbies don't know them won't hurt them....(How did you like that plug )

I will definitely be following this one....

 

[Marshay]

Hi ya!!!! on the DVC! Your DD is darling and if I see you, I will for sure say hi!

Yeah!! I've been enjoying your report and can't wait to run into you, although I don't think we have overlapping days...

Hey Marshay!!

Your shameless plug on my Pre Trip Report..Grab a Flashlight.....Trip Planned in the Dark...What Hubbies don't know them won't hurt them....(How did you like that plug )

I will definitely be following this one....

What?!? A shameless plug turn-around???

 

[Marshay]

Location, Location, Location
We decided to stay at Beach Club Villas for a week. Although I stayed at Yacht Club one time for a business conference when I worked for MCI (hmmm, maybe that's why they aren't in business anymore... ), I never made it over to BC.

Then in 2005 we went to the Cape May Cafe seafood NE clambake and walked around the property and fell in love with that pool -- Stormalong Bay.

Then we heard that Animal Kingdom Villa remodeling would be complete in the fall, so we added on 2 nights there as well.

Firsts
Well, besides the obvious first DVC trip and first time hoping to meet other DISers, this trip will also be our DD's FIRST HAIRCUT. Yes, as you saw in the earlier posts, my DD's hair is quite long. I admit to having hacked her bangs once in a while, but otherwise, we have not cut her hair. I've really been wanting to get her first haircut at the Main Street Shop in MK.

 

[Marshay]

Well, as for the crafts, I won't duplicate all of them but will highlight a few of the ones I like or ones you are bound to see down in WDW.

For starters, here are some pages from my DD's Disney Activity Book that I made for the plane rides. It started out as a way for me to experiment with some new ideas and ended up as a cute little book.

touch and feel Mickey (pom poms) and Minnie (buttons)

Some tags

Princess Cards

Coloring Pages

 

[kindakrazy2]

I could have sworn I posted on here earlier because I said to my husband that I was the first poster on the thread. Now I wonder who's I posted on!

Hope what I wrote makes some sort of sense to them!

What I wanted to say but apparently didn't was great report so far! So jealous of the DVC and all! Maybe one day.....

Keep the report coming!

 

[rentayenta]

Yeah!! I've been enjoying your report and can't wait to run into you, although I don't think we have overlapping days...

We leave for WDW on 9/15 so I think we will overlap a few days.

I would never shamlessly plug my Pre Trippie in your pre-trippie by saying that the link is in my siggy.

 

[Marshay]

Here are my assortment of LGMHs.

These are the ones I plan to give out to my DISers

And here are the ones that will go on my Stroller and Baggalini

And here is how I will decorate our door: