Still living the dream: Setting the scene and Index

Peebee · Nov 12, 2011

Setting the scene

After 9 months of organising, planning, saving and most of all waiting, we are off to Disneyworld. Actually it's more than just that. We are going to be spending time also at Universal for a couple of nights in order to make the most of the front of line facility when staying on-site...and there is the small matter of 5 nights on the Disney Dream...but apart from that it will be WDW through and through.

We are lucky to be regular visitors to Florida but even now I still get a special feeling when the day to leave finally rolls around. It has been particularly busy at work the last few weeks so the last month seems to have flown by very quickly, and it's almost a shock to the system to see the countdown click down to zero.

For anyone who didn't see the pre-trip report I posted a few months ago, here is a quick summary of the trip. We have 6 nights staying in an off-site villa at Indian Creek that looks gorgeous. Pool, games room, all you need and more really. The owners seem lovely and while its a shame our normal villa isn't available for these dates it will also be nice to try somewhere different.

After the villa we are moving to Universal for a couple of nights and staying at the Hard Rock Hotel. We got a great annual pass older rate, and as a special treat I've booked tickets for the Blue Man Group for our first night. From here we transfer to the Boardwalk to make use of a DVD points for a week in a one-bedroom villa and be within touching distance of Epcot and the Studios.

Following this part it really starts to get serious as we head off to the Disney Dream for it's first 5 night cruise, stopping at Castaway Cay twice. The kids are so looking forward to everything about the holiday but especially the cruise. It will be special for DW and I too as it was 11 years ago that we travelled on the Disney Magic, a couple of days after I proposed after watching the fireworks from the boat dock of the Contemporary. We were married a year later and have often promised ourselves a cruise for a 10 year anniversary celebration...so here we are, a month early for the actual date but close enough

The last part (yes, there's more!) of the trip is a surprise for the kids...two nights in a one-bedroom villa at the Wilderness Lodge, again courtesy of DVC points. Hope a relaxing end to the trip before heading home.

Anyway, that's the plan...please stick with me for the next 3 weeks or so to see how it unfolds. Undoubtedly there will be heroes (hooray), villains (boo) and plenty more besides.

The participants in this little adventure are as follows:

Me (Paul) – 45, lover of all things Florida, particularly parks, restaurants, and Bud Lime by the pool :drinking: