Spontaneous Combustion is Not an Option! PTR - Dream Sept. 1st (UPDATED 8/26/11)

[jenifred]

I don’t know what it feels like to spontaneously combust, but I think I have a pretty good idea. Every time I read someone’s TR and I get to those initial photos of embarkation day, I get a feeling like if I don’t get in my car that very minute and drive straight to Port Canaveral, I may very well explode on the spot. You may know the feeling.

Well, I can’t talk the DH into an extra cruise before September 1st, so my only outlet appears to be a Pre-Trip Report. Hope you enjoy!

THE CAST:

Me – Jeni – I’m the Disney fanatic in the group. I live to research and plan. I can make a list and itinerary for ANYTHING!!! DH says I should start Disney -holics Anonymous. Anyone want to join?!?

DH – Chad – He is the calm to my storm. Chad’s favorite part about Disney trips...the food. DCL is like his food mecca; he must pilgrimage to the holy land at least once every two years. Most people stock up on Dramamine, we bring packs of Tums!

Trip Goal: Gain less that 5 pounds apiece during this trip!

DD – Kay (3) – She is our sweet and klutzy princess. Like her momma, she could be a card carrying member of Disney -holics Anonymous. She tells anyone who will listen about her trips to WDW. You know, it’s a proud moment when your three-year-old can quote the entire Ghost Host monolog to the Haunted Mansion!

Trip Goal: Photos with Rapunzel; she is our new favorite princess.

DS – Will (1) - We call him Wild Thing. Will is a big ball of energy. At 9 months, he consumed the same amount of food as his 3-year-old sister and was wearing 18 month clothes. If he sees food or his granny, he screams, not cries, screams for what he wants. My daughter did not properly prepare me for this crazy boy!

Trip Goal: My First Haircut at the Harmony Barbershop (from the photo you can tell he deperately needs it!)

Granny & Pops –

Granny, aka “The Sucker”, is our photo journalist. She may already have 1000 pictures of Cinderella’s Castle, but she will always need just a few more. Both my kids can play her like YoYo Ma plays the cello, and she doesn’t mind one bit. There are no rules at Granny’s house.

Pops pretends that I am the mastermind behind our Disney-centric vacations…but don’t let him fool you. The man owns the Sherman Brothers documentary and has read more than one book on Walt Disney/Walt Disney World. And, I am not the one always sneaking off with Kay to watch you tube videos of Wishes and SpectroMagic! Favorite Ride: Haunted Mansion. (More on this later.)

Trip Goal: To Survive

THE DETAILS:

I have been boasting about this trip since we booked it more than a year ago. We are doing a land/sea combo, with an adult-only twist.

DH and I did out first DCL cruise in Feb 2009 on the Wonder, no kids. We added two days in WDW at the last minute. This was the first time we had traveled to WDW without our daughter. We definitely liked the freedom we had on the Wonder to relax without interruption. But we quickly realized that without our kids, WDW doesn't have quite the same…sparkle.

So we devised a plan to have the best of both worlds: land with the kids and sea without. How did we manage this, you ask…I have awesome parents, who love vacationing with my kids!

We are going to stay at the Animal Kingdom Villas for four days with the kids and my parents. Then Granny and Pops will be keeping the kids at WDW, while DH and I are on the Dream for three glorious, quiet, relaxing nights.

THIS IS GOING TO BE THE BEST TRIP EVER!!!!

 

[toy]

Subbing to watch the super lucky people leave their kids and run away for adult time. Can you tell how jealous I am?

 

[jenifred]

Subbing to watch the super lucky people leave their kids and run away for adult time. Can you tell how jealous I am?

Thanks. And yes, we are about the luckest people on the face of the planet!

 

[jenifred]

(sorry no pics in this report, more to come I promise)

We booked the Dream more than a year ago, so we had plenty of time to talk about the details of the WDW leg of the trip. Our usual resort of choice is The Boardwalk. But we have been wanting to try something new. After long debates, we decide to stay at the Animal Kingdom Resort for the first time.

Then there is the food...Have I mentioned my DH is really into food? Meat to be specific. Our last WDW trip was a beef fest: Ohana, Le Cellier, Turf Club Bar and Grill, Cape May, Tusker House. No lie, I gained 6 pounds in 4 days! DH would rather I did not disclose his weight gain. So, I tried to talk everyone into going a little lighter…not so successful. This time: Ohana, Le Cellier, 1900 Park Fare (breakfast). And then DH and I are getting on the Dream...I can just feel the pounds packing on!

At 8am on the day each booking window opened, I was on the phone ready to go. The itinerary was drafted, pack lists were made…now we wait.

Do you know what happens when people have to wait? They get antsy.

We keep talking about how we eat at the same places. So we opt for a change. We drop Le Cellier for Le Chefs de France. I know, I know. SACRILEGE. But we have eaten there literally every trip for the last four years and I promise we will eat there again. And then they decide they want to go to the parks in a different order. (I honestly don't know why I bother to make reservations in advance...) But, the reservations were changed without any problem. We are set and...we wait.

Then, they started second guessing the resort. “AK is so far away from everything and The Boardwalk has the sweets shop we love”, I hear from the peanut gallery. They have apparently forgotten the whole “try something new” conversation. I remind them about sipping coffee, while watching giraffes from the balcony and the fact that AK has some of the best pools in WDW. (Our kids LOVE to swim.) In the end, we decided to stay put and I did not need to try to change resort reservations last minute. Whew!

So we are set, and again we wait. Guess what happed…antsy.

Cont...

 

[Goldeelox9]

HI! We are at the AKL before the cruise and we will be sailing with you! My niece is 3 and my Nephew will be one at the end of September! Hopefully we will run into you guys!!!

 

[jenifred]

HI! We are at the AKL before the cruise and we will be sailing with you! My niece is 3 and my Nephew will be one at the end of September! Hopefully we will run into you guys!!!

Hi Goldeelox9! We are definitely going to have to meet up! We arive on August 28th and will be hanging poolside most of the day. I think there a few others members of our cruise staying at AK...It must be where the "cool" people stay!

 

[pjstevens]

I'm jealous you, Jeni and Lisa will get to meet before the cruise. We are only coming in the day before and staying at the port.

I too am so excited for this trip.

 

[jercat78]

My DD and I will also be on the cruise. I just wish I could do the land before. You actually sound alot like me only in a younger version. It is funny to read your post because it sounds so much like me. I am jealous that you will get to stay at AK 1st.

 

[jenifred]

My DD and I will also be on the cruise. I just wish I could do the land before. You actually sound alot like me only in a younger version. It is funny to read your post because it sounds so much like me. I am jealous that you will get to stay at AK 1st.

You just made my day! I don't feel "young" very often anymore!

 

[pjstevens]

My DD and I will also be on the cruise. I just wish I could do the land before. You actually sound alot like me only in a younger version. It is funny to read your post because it sounds so much like me. I am jealous that you will get to stay at AK 1st.

We won't be at AKV before our cruise either

 

[jenifred]

The original plan was to spend three days in the parks before the cruise. When DH and I got back on Sunday, we were picking up the family and going straight home. This way we could get to work on Monday without looking like the night of the living dead. (Believe me it’s not pretty. )

In mid-May, Pops brings it to my attention that Monday would be Labor Day. “And, since we don’t have to go to work on Monday, we should stay in the parks all day when you get back. We can drive all night and have Monday to recuperate.”

Now you don’t have to twist my arm too hard to stay at WDW longer. And DH and I will be coming off a rejuvenating cruise. So sure Pops, we can stay in the parks all day Sunday! Six days are now seven.

Then, in early June, we were eating breakfast and Pops says, “You know what will stink? The weekend before we go on vacation. We aren’t scheduled to leave home until Sunday night. We are going to have to sit around all day Saturday and Sunday, just waiting. Whose idea was that?!?”

When you put it that way, it sure did sound like a bad idea. (Again, not much twisting required! ) We agreed that it would be better if we arrive a day early. It’s just a few more points and as luck would have it, AKV has a room available. Seven days are now eight...

So now we are doing four days in the parks, three days on the Dream and one more day in the parks when we get back. It was at this point that I added 5-hour Energy to my pack list.

During all this expansion talk there is a little voice in the back of my head. It said…Granny and Pops have never had the kids for more than three days in a row. Now they are loaded for bear for eight days. Granted, DH and I will be there to help for part of the trip...But have they met my kids?!?

I love my children, and when they are in their normal routine, they are pretty good. But, they are 3 and 1, after all. That’s means eight days of inopportune potty breaks and funky diaper changes. Eight days of exhaustion meltdowns. Eight days of running after Will before he tries to eat half the merchandise on property. Kay goes on a nap strike while in Orlando, which leads to less than princess-like behavior around 4pm each afternoon. And, Will has NO tolerance for hunger.

Combine this with the fact that my kids know they can get away with murder when my parents are in charge...this is a disaster waiting to happen.

But I keep smiling. If Granny and Pops think they can hack it for eight days, who am I to tell them they are wrong? (After this trip they are probably going to sell their DVC membership and vow never to travel with us again.)

So we are set. Now we wait…

Side note: I have talked Pops into writing a few segments for my TR to cover the days they are with the kids in WDW. I told him to keep it honest...so it should be entertaining to say the least.

 

[pjstevens]

I am loving your telling of adding on the days, it wouldn't take much to convince me to do the same

I'm excited to hear your dad's TR with the kids too.

 

[jenifred]

This time, I got antsy.

I had nothing to do. No more meals to book. No excursions to schedule. What was I going to do for the next three months? Then I found the Disboards Cruise Forum. (Can you hear the Hallelujah Chorus? I did. )

Oh, the joy of reading DCL TRs. I’m not sure why, but they are WAY better than WDW TRs. The photos. The funny stories. The food! I loved it. I even printed and highlighted an old set of Navigators. (It was at this point that my DH made the Disney-holic comment. Hello, my name is Jeni and I have a DisBoard problem! )

Then I started looking at all the crafting that was going on. I am not crafty by nature. But, it sure looked fun. I discovered the Fish Extenders. It gave me a whole untapped outlet for planning.

First, the FE itself. I looked at some of the traditional FEs and they were way outside the scope of my abilities. I needed something easy, so I cruised a few FE threads and eventually hit the jackpot. Easy and cute!

Kag30273, if you are out there…Thanks for the idea! I also picked a FE gift that involved no sewing or hot glue! (I don’t want to spoil the surprise, so we’ll have to wait for this one.)

Then I read a report about tie-dyed Mickey Shirts. I had never seen this before…AWESOME! I read a “How To” thread and it seemed easy enough. DH was a hard sell. I promised him tie dye was manly. But, that was not convincing enough. Finally, Pops decided he wanted a shirt. This meant DH would be the only one in the photos who did not match. So in the end, DH agreed to make a shirt.

The Deal: I would prep all the shirts, but you had to die your own. It took forever! DH had to pitch in when I was ready to throw in the proverbial t-shirt. But it was worth it.

We decided everyone got to pick their own colors. DD's came out the best by far. (Pink and purple, of course!)

From the left - DS, Me, DD, Granny (We are from Louisiana, so I went for LSU colors, while Granny did a Mardi Gras insprired shirt)

Pops went Mardi Gras too, but his shirt was a Faded Glory from Walmart. Beware - they are treated with a chemical that make it difficult to die. But his still came out cute.

And the piece de resistancé…

DH’s shirt was…unique. He said this was NOT manly…we are planning on a do-over!

I have to admit, being “crafty” is pretty fun!

 

[jenifred]

DD3 and I made a coutdown paper chain this weekend. We started at 34 days. I explained to DD3 that every morning we break a link off and when they are all gone we could go to Disney World.

She loves breaking off the links every morning. I love not having to drag her out of bed! But I didn't think this all the way through. On the first morning she wanted to save the broken strip. I asked why, she said she wanted to put it back together after the trip. That way we could take it apart again and go to WDW...again! I am in trouble...


DS turned 1 this week and he is just starting to walk. He is so proud of himself.

He is supposed to be in a wedding in two weeks. Go Will Go!!!

And you may recall we are getting DS's first haircut in the MK...he REALLY needs it!

 

[Toria]

DD3 and I made a coutdown paper chain this weekend. We started at 34 days. I explained to DD3 that every morning we break a link off and when they are all gone we could go to Disney World.

She loves breaking off the links every morning. I love not having to drag her out of bed! But I didn't think this all the way through. On the first morning she wanted to save the broken strip. I asked why, she said she wanted to put it back together after the trip. That way we could take it apart again and go to WDW...again! I am in trouble...


DS turned 1 this week and he is just starting to walk. He is so proud of himself.

He is supposed to be in a wedding in two weeks. Go Will Go!!!

And you may recall we are getting DS's first haircut in the MK...he REALLY needs it!

Your babies are too cute! I must say I do believe you may be in trouble with your daughter wanting to take another trip. It was cute that she said that.

 

[pjstevens]

Jen,

I hate to say, but I made a countdown chain for us too (and my 'babies' are 20 & 23)!!! Each day is a tidbit of info or trivia fact about WDW! Your kids are adorable!

 

[jenifred]

I have about a three to four month period after I get back from WDW where I’m ok (relatively speaking). Then I start looking at old trip photos and that feeling of spontaneous combustion starts to set in.

Those last few months between trips are always a struggle. It usually involves me continuously trying to talk the DH into a spur-of-the-moment weekend trip to Orlando.

This never works. DH is too level-headed. And I will concede that when you live 12 hours away and don’t want to pay for airfare, a weekend trip does not make sense. So then what?

We planned two short trips this summer to help ease the withdrawals. The first was to New Orleans. We are NOLA natives, but now live about an hour away in Baton Rouge. DH’s national convention was in New Orleans this year, so we decided to make a mini-vacation of it.

We hung at the pool for most of the first day. Kay recently discovered the freedom of swimming with arm floaties. She had a blast!

I got Will a new boat for the pool. He could flip all the others I had bought. This was one is magic. Within minutes he figured out it was pretty comfy to relax in. So I swayed him back and forth and eventually he passed out. He napped in the pool for 45 minutes! All the guys hanging around the pool called dibs when he was done.

Granny and Pops met us the next day. We walked around the French Quarter and went to the Aquarium of the Americas. We also took some pictures for the Disney Files magazine...which I still have not sumbitted...

And man did we eat! (When I got home, I realized I took no pictures of food. I am going to have to work on that for the cruise.) We went to Deanie’s Seafood, where the “half” seafood platter fed all four of us with leftovers. Emeril Lagasse’s restaurant NOLA. Gordon Beirsch – garlic fries!!! And had dessert (Crème Brule and Cheesecake) at 5 Fifty 5. Not only were the desserts $5.55 each, they were AMAZING! Three pounds in two days…

Continued...

 

[pjstevens]

Great update Jennifer! I loved when the kids were little like Will. Our Tyler (who is 20 now) and over 6 feet tall use to sleep 'in' the pool like too (or at the pool, under the picnic table, chair, anywhere he could).

 

[jenifred]

Great update Jennifer! I loved when the kids were little like Will. Our Tyler (who is 20 now) and over 6 feet tall use to sleep 'in' the pool like too (or at the pool, under the picnic table, chair, anywhere he could).

Thanks! Will did the same thing at his birthday party last weekend. He was asleep in the pool in less than 5 minutes in that boat. It's like kiddy Xanax!

 

[Toria]

You knocked that baby right on out! That is cute though.