We are a Disney family. For the past thirteen years, we have not vacationed anywhere but Disney WORLD...and there, you see, is my problem...at least a huge part of it!!!
Try as we might, even though we are interested, even though I have tried to research Disney LAND, even though it is a super aawesomely great opportunity for Skyler, we cannot get excited!!!!
It does not help that we just (like 1 week ago) found out the basic details and we still do not know a lot of the details...and that is unfortunately, unavoidable as the person organizing this trip even calls herself "Last Minute Liz".
BUT, I am here, now, to try to change that. I am hoping that by starting a trip report, as I would for any other Disney trip, that I will suddenly get inspired and excited!!! And I an hoping that maybe all y'all will jump in with your wonderful encouragement and information to make our first DisneyLAND trip an awesome one!
Now, this may be slow moving...you know, lack of information here! And I am still working on our trip report/dining review from our August 2011 Disney WORLD trip (come join in there!)...but let's get this thing moving!
So this trip was born from Skye's dance team. Everyother year they travel. This is her second year on the team so the first time she is traveling with them. Last year they went to New York. Then have done many Disney trips throughout the years though. So in addition to whomever decided to go from the teams (it looks like a lot are backing out!), our little "team" will consist of...
Skyler...
She will be 8 on the day before Easter this year....and therefore a tthe time of the trip. She was born at 11 pounds 2 ounces and has only about tripled that at the age of almost 8. She was finally able ot ride almost anything on our last trip in August because she finally got that height she needed.
She is the reason for this trip. She has been dancing since she was 3. This past year, she was moved frmo level 1/2 competition team to level 3. She was also moved from Level 2 ballet, tap, and jazz classes to Level 5 and from beginner hip hop to intermediate. She has also been a gymnast since she was three. She is now at the end of the intermediate level and looking forward to moving to advanced by ht esummer (keep your fingers crossed for her!). She has a two year stint as a flier on a cheer squad but that just did not fit into her other schedule so she chose to drop it. As it now, she is at the gym on Monday and Wednesday and at dance on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday...cheerleading just wasnt' going to work! She is a great student and wants to be a doctor someday. But also wants ot perform so I don't know how all that is going to work out but if anyone can make it happen, it is her. She has gotten all the drive and ambition and coping skills in our family! She is excited to go to Disneyland and Las Vegas but they could have told her she was going anwhere and she would have been excited becasue she was getting to dance there! My favorite thing she ever said was after she was asked to join the competiion team at the end of the 2009 - 2010 season. As we were walking out to the car she turns to me and says, "See mom, sometimes hard work is fun!"... She is sometimes more responsible than ther big brother and I sometimes wonder who takes care of who???
He favorite princess is Ariel...and she loves Don Don (Donald). She is a chicken freak and I should probably do a whole intro for ChiChi because you will meet him too. He's her chicken that travels everywhere with us. He has been loved a bit too much and he is showing it...but he apparently enjoys a vacation as much as the next guy!
Her favorite restaurant is Flying Fish. Her favorite park is Magic Kingdom. Her favorite ride is Test Track. She says Expedition Everest is a "baby ride". She hated Tower of Terror (but we cannot blame her!) and Space Mountain scaredd her...but I think she'd go back eventually...I think she would have been fine if she did not have to sit in the seat by herself...if someone could have been next to her...isn't that how the cars are at Disneyland?
She has been to Disneyworld at least 10 times since the age of 2 months.
Tyler is 13 now and will be when we travel. He has been to Disney close to 20 times in his 13 years. He is Einstein smart...meaning he is gifted beyond belief but unorganized, unorganized, and did I say UNORGANIZED!?!?!?! The kid tests my patience every day. He also has quite a bit of lazy in him. Meaning if he does not want to do it or see an outcome to benefit him, he is probably going to put it off as long as he can. He is the most like me of the two and gets his feelings hurt easily but holds a lot inside until he gets really mad. He can sometimes be very grown up and sometimes act like a two year old. Like I said, he tests my patience till the very end! He entered 7th grade in the fall and therefore a new school. He was stifled at his old school (where Skye still is) and felt like they were not teaching him anything and not offering him anything extra either. Arriving at Junior High has opened up a whole new world for Tyler. He ran for Treasurer of Student Council but did not win...but he did get to be his matrix (homeroom) class rep. He worked on the Fall Play crew and is currently working on the Spring Musical crew. He s on the Scholastic Bowl Team and Mathletes. He tried out for the basketball team but did not make it (which I did not really expect him to because he has never had a basketball class in his life). He has played tackle football since he was 5 and this fall will be his last season on the Titans before he moves on to a high school team. Right now he is on his Arena Football team for the third year (our organization just started playing Arena) and they are undefeated so far!!! He also plays baseball, which has not started yet but will in a week.
So he is a busy boy. But he still managed to get straight As on his report card with little effort. He has no idea what he wants ot be when he grows up but the way he is going he should have a tom of options.
His favorite Disney character is Hercules. His favorite park is Magic Kingdom. His favorite restaurant is anywhere he can get a huge steak. His favorite animal is an Elephant...in fact, Elle is upset because he said he won't bring her on this trip...too many girls...and 13 year olds don't carry their stuffed Elephant with them. So Skye told her that she'll take her.
He is a big chicken. He has ridden Tower of Terror (hated it!), Rockin' Roller Coaster (ok, but does not offer to ride but will if talked into it), Space Mountain (but does not want to do it again), and Everest (which is cool!). Up until Skye was big enough to ride these things though, he had no interest. I think he did not want her to show him up so he went. She is game for almost anything at least ones...like Tower of Terror, she only needed once! He likes it when she comes off something scared (like Space Mountain) because then he thinks he won't have to go again. He had never been on Everest until out last trip in August and I think he was more scared waiting in line than his little sister. Needless to say, he loves it now...but Skye says that's because it is a baby ride. His favorite ride is Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
This past trip in August he tried his hardest to make the waitress bring him a giant Coke. He drank 7 glasses and still she just kept bringing him a small cup. He was quite disappointed...in fact, the reason he did not order a shake was for that pop thing...and it did not work out ...
He is taking his forst solo trip in a month or so with school. I have never so much as let him go on a local field trip without me and he has never (except for when i was having Skye) even slept over anywhere without me (and my parents live across hte street)! So I will be a nervous wreck. I told him i will text him every 20 minutes and if I don't get a response, I will be on my way...I am only partly kidding! They are heading to St. Louis and Springfield. But in order to go, he is going to miss the Arena Super Bowl...assuming they continue to do well and make it...and that really stinks beciase this is his last year of Arena. But the choice was up to him...andhe chose...much to my dismay!
He cut his long hair after our last trip and is due for another haircut. I think he is thinking about going real short...we shall see!
Oh, and he had just gotten glasses for the first time before our August trip...
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