GrandCalifornian
Can't Wait To Go Back
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2012
Hey everyone! We're kicking off a super surprise extra trip report today.
Yes, for those of you who haven’t been following our prior trip report, Melissa planned a surprise trip for Allie to mark the end of her home school year.
This was the most epic surprise that I've ever pulled off. I still can't believe I didn't blow it before we got to Orlando.
We did all the planning in secret, and got ADRs and called for Magical Express when she wasn’t around, which was extra tough with home school.
We did it though and it was an incredible surprise to pull off.
Before we get too far ahead of ourselves we should introduce ourselves, I'm Melissa, I'll be writing in orange.
I am Paul, the Dad and usual primary trip planner for our trips, but this time I stayed home and worked and took care of Marshall, our five year old so that the girls could have a special trip. I’ll be writing my comments in blue.
This trip report is going to be a little different because Paul wasn't on the trip with us. It was just me and Allison who is 11 and very much a tween.
She loves Disney though and this was a great trip for her.
So a little backstory on the trip. When we started homeschooling in the fall I thought it would be nice to take a trip to Washington DC because she was learning about American History. My sister lives in Norfolk Virginia so I thought great, by the spring we should be able to make something happen. Well fast forward to February after we got back from our last trip to Disney. I was looking at airfare to Virginia and what might be open to do in DC and was a little disappointed in what we could see and do.
So instead of DC I thought heck, why don't we check out Disney.
We were also heavily involved in looking at room options for our trip next January, since we had to rent points to supplement our DVC contract due to the borrowing restrictions. We hoped to have some points left over from a point transfer to cover a May trip, but that didn’t happen.
After figuring out what dates worked to visit my sister for a bit I added a couple days onto the trip and planned a 5 day layover in Orlando on the way home.
Since the extra point option didn't work out I was able to book Yacht Club using an AP discount and got a really good deal. I also considered Carribean Beach but really couldn't resist being able to walk to Epcot and checking out Stormalong Bay before our next trip.
The discount made the Deluxe a more appealing way to go, and they got to try out the location before we stay there in January.
We looked at having the boys join us for the Disney portion of the vacation but ultimately decided that it was going to be too much to board the dogs and cost quite a bit extra in airfare and food.
So Marshall and I decided to sit this one out, which is funny because we still haven’t directly told him that they were there.
Eh what he doesn't know won't make him mad.
We didn’t want him to blow the secret, and then we didn’t want him to be jealous, so we just didn’t talk about what they were doing for so long.
To make it up to Marshall and give him something to look forward to we did tell him that we would go to Legoland while the girls were gone.
So right before we are set to leave we decide that we're going to buy a house and sell our house all at the same time, life got a little crazy and we didn't end up telling Allie about any of the trip until the week before we were set to leave. BUT we only told her about the first 4 days in Virginia.
It was nice to have me home to deal with some house stuff, since they did the appraisal and buyers inspections on the day Melissa left.
So our trip started off with a wonderful visit with my sister in Virginia. We got to see the Chesapeake Bay, toured a couple really neat old houses, checked out the Battleship Wisconsin, and even went up to Colonial Williamsburg which Allison loved.
It made it a somewhat educational trip, and Allie loved the time there.
Somehow I completely strung her along and she thought we were headed home via a wierd 5 hour layover in Orlando where since we were switching airlines we had to go get our bag and recheck it and go back through security. I told her it was how I got a cheap flight and she completly bought it.
That way we didn’t have to tell her about the secret until she was actually in Orlando. I was sad about missing out on telling her, so we decided to do it together over FaceTime.
After we got off the plane I told her we needed to call dad now because he had a meeting in a bit and I wanted to talk to him before he got tied up with it.
We totally had her because she started the call telling me about how it wasn’t fair that they were that close to Disney and couldn’t even go see Disney Springs or anything.
So then I told her that I lied, our 5 hour layover was actually a 5 day layover. For some reason she immedeatly thought that meant we had to stay in the airport for 5 days.
She just started crying. Then she kept crying as she figured out where they were going.
I had to pull magic bands out of my bag to convince her I wasn't kidding. She was so surprised.
She didn’t know what to believe at that point. She was really excited though.
So excited, she pretty much cried all the way down to the Magical Express line.
I recorded the FaceTime call, but it didn’t get the audio, which was a bummer but we still got some great screenshots.
The pictures they sent as she got closer to the busses were more animated, and I could see she was getting excited.
So I'm not going to have all of the times and stuff like Paul normally does, I didn't take notes like we normally do for our trips but I'll do my best.
You didn’t even take the big camera, but you did take a lot of pics on your phone and we will share them here.
All of the pictures I took were with my phone.
You guys were traveling light, which had to be great.
So here we go, after we got off the phone with dad we wen't down to grab our bag at baggage claim to pick up our suitcase and head to Magical Express.
We got in line about 1:15 the earliest we've EVER arrived in Orlando, except for that time we took the red eye. Maybe I should rephrase that to the earliest and most awake we've arrived in Orlando.
You were excited and ready to go, but the room wasn’t ready yet.
Yeah and we did have a little wait to get on a bus.
Oh I didn't tell Allie where we were staying until we checked in for the bus too. She cried again.
Awww
So according to my pictures we got on the bus at 1:40 so a little shy of the 35 minute wait we were promised.
That’s way better than people had been posting about around that time.
I really think we got lucky because there were for sure people that waited longer than us. Allie cried some more on the bus while she let it sink in that we were actually going to Disney. And that we were going without the boys.
I don’t think she was too sad about that.
I'm pretty sure they were happy tears.
Our first stop was Boardwalk but then we were the next one so the bus ride itself wasn't bad.
That’s cool. It had to be neat to get to stay in the Epcot resort area.
Yes the strangest part was that I'm so used to the drive to Wilderness Lodge it just felt different.
I bet. We have talked about staying over there since our honeymoon, but this was the first time.
So since our room wasn't ready we left all of our stuff with bell services and went in search of lunch. Allison's original plan was chinese food in the airport but then decided she'd rather just get to Disney instead.
So we headed over to Beach Club Marketplace to grab some lunch.
This is a spot that we frequently visit during our trips, despite never having stayed there.
We do like it alot. We decided to go ahead and get mugs which worked out great during the trip. I got a chili cheese hot dog and Allie got bacon topped macaroni and cheese which she raved about.
While we were eating outside we got attacked by these insane biting flies.
I appreciated that you got a green mug so I’d have a souvenir when you got home. I use these mugs for the water cooler at home.
And he won't drink out of one unless it's green but he's weird.
They’re the best.
I'm the best.
True, you brought me a green mug.
So the flies were different, we've never had that happen before. I didn't think much of it at the time.
Since it was only about 3:00 and our room still wasn't ready we decided to head into Epcot! It was super exciting.
Aww neat!
Read about the rest of their evening in the next update...
Yes, for those of you who haven’t been following our prior trip report, Melissa planned a surprise trip for Allie to mark the end of her home school year.
This was the most epic surprise that I've ever pulled off. I still can't believe I didn't blow it before we got to Orlando.
We did all the planning in secret, and got ADRs and called for Magical Express when she wasn’t around, which was extra tough with home school.
We did it though and it was an incredible surprise to pull off.
Before we get too far ahead of ourselves we should introduce ourselves, I'm Melissa, I'll be writing in orange.
I am Paul, the Dad and usual primary trip planner for our trips, but this time I stayed home and worked and took care of Marshall, our five year old so that the girls could have a special trip. I’ll be writing my comments in blue.
This trip report is going to be a little different because Paul wasn't on the trip with us. It was just me and Allison who is 11 and very much a tween.
She loves Disney though and this was a great trip for her.
So a little backstory on the trip. When we started homeschooling in the fall I thought it would be nice to take a trip to Washington DC because she was learning about American History. My sister lives in Norfolk Virginia so I thought great, by the spring we should be able to make something happen. Well fast forward to February after we got back from our last trip to Disney. I was looking at airfare to Virginia and what might be open to do in DC and was a little disappointed in what we could see and do.
So instead of DC I thought heck, why don't we check out Disney.
We were also heavily involved in looking at room options for our trip next January, since we had to rent points to supplement our DVC contract due to the borrowing restrictions. We hoped to have some points left over from a point transfer to cover a May trip, but that didn’t happen.
After figuring out what dates worked to visit my sister for a bit I added a couple days onto the trip and planned a 5 day layover in Orlando on the way home.
Since the extra point option didn't work out I was able to book Yacht Club using an AP discount and got a really good deal. I also considered Carribean Beach but really couldn't resist being able to walk to Epcot and checking out Stormalong Bay before our next trip.
The discount made the Deluxe a more appealing way to go, and they got to try out the location before we stay there in January.
We looked at having the boys join us for the Disney portion of the vacation but ultimately decided that it was going to be too much to board the dogs and cost quite a bit extra in airfare and food.
So Marshall and I decided to sit this one out, which is funny because we still haven’t directly told him that they were there.
Eh what he doesn't know won't make him mad.
We didn’t want him to blow the secret, and then we didn’t want him to be jealous, so we just didn’t talk about what they were doing for so long.
To make it up to Marshall and give him something to look forward to we did tell him that we would go to Legoland while the girls were gone.
So right before we are set to leave we decide that we're going to buy a house and sell our house all at the same time, life got a little crazy and we didn't end up telling Allie about any of the trip until the week before we were set to leave. BUT we only told her about the first 4 days in Virginia.
It was nice to have me home to deal with some house stuff, since they did the appraisal and buyers inspections on the day Melissa left.
So our trip started off with a wonderful visit with my sister in Virginia. We got to see the Chesapeake Bay, toured a couple really neat old houses, checked out the Battleship Wisconsin, and even went up to Colonial Williamsburg which Allison loved.
It made it a somewhat educational trip, and Allie loved the time there.
Somehow I completely strung her along and she thought we were headed home via a wierd 5 hour layover in Orlando where since we were switching airlines we had to go get our bag and recheck it and go back through security. I told her it was how I got a cheap flight and she completly bought it.
That way we didn’t have to tell her about the secret until she was actually in Orlando. I was sad about missing out on telling her, so we decided to do it together over FaceTime.
After we got off the plane I told her we needed to call dad now because he had a meeting in a bit and I wanted to talk to him before he got tied up with it.
We totally had her because she started the call telling me about how it wasn’t fair that they were that close to Disney and couldn’t even go see Disney Springs or anything.
So then I told her that I lied, our 5 hour layover was actually a 5 day layover. For some reason she immedeatly thought that meant we had to stay in the airport for 5 days.
She just started crying. Then she kept crying as she figured out where they were going.
I had to pull magic bands out of my bag to convince her I wasn't kidding. She was so surprised.
She didn’t know what to believe at that point. She was really excited though.
So excited, she pretty much cried all the way down to the Magical Express line.
I recorded the FaceTime call, but it didn’t get the audio, which was a bummer but we still got some great screenshots.
The pictures they sent as she got closer to the busses were more animated, and I could see she was getting excited.
So I'm not going to have all of the times and stuff like Paul normally does, I didn't take notes like we normally do for our trips but I'll do my best.
You didn’t even take the big camera, but you did take a lot of pics on your phone and we will share them here.
All of the pictures I took were with my phone.
You guys were traveling light, which had to be great.
So here we go, after we got off the phone with dad we wen't down to grab our bag at baggage claim to pick up our suitcase and head to Magical Express.
We got in line about 1:15 the earliest we've EVER arrived in Orlando, except for that time we took the red eye. Maybe I should rephrase that to the earliest and most awake we've arrived in Orlando.
You were excited and ready to go, but the room wasn’t ready yet.
Yeah and we did have a little wait to get on a bus.
Oh I didn't tell Allie where we were staying until we checked in for the bus too. She cried again.
Awww
So according to my pictures we got on the bus at 1:40 so a little shy of the 35 minute wait we were promised.
That’s way better than people had been posting about around that time.
I really think we got lucky because there were for sure people that waited longer than us. Allie cried some more on the bus while she let it sink in that we were actually going to Disney. And that we were going without the boys.
I don’t think she was too sad about that.
I'm pretty sure they were happy tears.
Our first stop was Boardwalk but then we were the next one so the bus ride itself wasn't bad.
That’s cool. It had to be neat to get to stay in the Epcot resort area.
Yes the strangest part was that I'm so used to the drive to Wilderness Lodge it just felt different.
I bet. We have talked about staying over there since our honeymoon, but this was the first time.
So since our room wasn't ready we left all of our stuff with bell services and went in search of lunch. Allison's original plan was chinese food in the airport but then decided she'd rather just get to Disney instead.
So we headed over to Beach Club Marketplace to grab some lunch.
This is a spot that we frequently visit during our trips, despite never having stayed there.
We do like it alot. We decided to go ahead and get mugs which worked out great during the trip. I got a chili cheese hot dog and Allie got bacon topped macaroni and cheese which she raved about.
While we were eating outside we got attacked by these insane biting flies.
I appreciated that you got a green mug so I’d have a souvenir when you got home. I use these mugs for the water cooler at home.
And he won't drink out of one unless it's green but he's weird.
They’re the best.
I'm the best.
True, you brought me a green mug.
So the flies were different, we've never had that happen before. I didn't think much of it at the time.
Since it was only about 3:00 and our room still wasn't ready we decided to head into Epcot! It was super exciting.
Aww neat!
Read about the rest of their evening in the next update...
