irish dancer
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2004
- Messages
- 1,799
This is my first attempt at a trip report. Ive read many and enjoy them all! DH and my friends at the Chicago board have encouraged me to chronicle our recent trip so here goes. I tend to be wordy so hopefully Ill be able to keep this to a minimum, not likely though 
!
What: Our first ever fall trip to WDW
When: Oct. 4-12
Where: AKV 1br club level, the last night in a regular 1br SV (couldnt get that night on the club level)
Cast: Me, 41 and an obsessed Disney planner
DH, 41 and a lover of Disney but much more laid back and go with the flow
DD, 11 Tink fan and planner-in-training
DS, 8 has Autism, is very high functioning and LOVES WDW
DD, 7 Stitch fan and finally 48in with shoes!
We have to start with a little pre-trip background though I think. DH and I booked this trip back in December 2007 and decided not to say anything to the kids in case we decided to re-schedule, the secret is born
. Weve been many times and decided to keep up the secret to add a new edge to this trip. Then airfares started rising so we booked our plane tickets in April, we were committed. The 2007-08 school year had them off 2 days the week we booked, we thought perfect, a week in WDW and only miss 3 days of school. Well, you guessed it the 2008-09 calendar comes out in May and they have NO days off that week! 
Well, it would be around $800 to change weeks so theres no turning back now. Fast forward to August, another crisis arises. I read on the DIS how other AKV club level guests are being notified that they are being moved due to exterior construction. The reports keep getting worse and no one really seems to know what is going on. I call and am told, no problem were not impacted. The very next day I get a call telling me were being moved to BWV. Less than 24 hrs after that another call that were not moving and staying at AKV!! AAHHHHH!
The days continue to fly by. ADRs - check, t-shirts made for the girls - check, treat bags and costumes made for MNSSHP - check, rental car check, itinerary made (and changed a dozen times) check. As the last weeks approach it is getting harder and harder to keep the secret but we stand firm. Teachers are emailed 3 weeks before the trip, no problems on that end (phew) and they are all aware its a secret. We finally get to the last week and serious cleaning and packing needs to be done. Thank goodness theyre in school for 6hrs a day!
The night before we leave we arrange for them to sleep over at their grandparents so we can actually pack. Ive had plane tickets designed by a talented DISer on the design board so we print those, clip a MNSSHP map (sent to me by a great TGMer) and put them in a mailer envelope addressed to the kids. After lunch at the grandparents we sit them down and give them their mail with the video camera running. Thankfully DD11 reads the ticket and puts it all together and in an instant they are all screaming and hugging each other. Yeah! The response we were hoping for. Although there is a second of apprehension from the girls who will be missing their standardized testing but we assured them their teachers know well be gone and that it will all work out.
We leave the grandparents on a high, everyone all smiles. Home to shower and put on their plane clothes and add a few extra carry-on things to their backpacks and then were off to OHare airport.
We live very close to the airport so the ride is short and uneventful. We are traveling with only carry-ons as I sent a box ahead with all of our liquids and gels. We couldnt check-in on-line so we waited in a fairly short line to check-in. Security was not backed up and none of us were singled out for extra security thankfully. We still need to eat dinner but all we pass on our way to our gate is a Wolfgang Puck Café and a Mediterranean Café, neither high on our kids list. Mental note for next time - check where McDonalds is before heading to your gate. DH and DS trekked back to McDs and brought us back dinner.
This is when we start hearing announcements looking for volunteers to take a flight to Tampa as the Orlando flight is overbooked. It needs to be someone without checked luggage as they cant pull anyones luggage. Hmmm, very interesting
. They were offering a voucher for a free RT ticket good for one year. Well, we decided it was too good of an offer to pass up so before I know it were high tailing it to the opposite end of the terminal to catch a flight to Tampa, 5 free RT tickets in hand. The Tampa flight ends up leaving early and arrives in Tampa 15min early. DHs brother has arranged a rental car for us while we were in flight. Our luck continues there, the agent upgrades us to a mini-van for the full-size price. It is now 10p and we still have to drive to WDW, thankfully it is an easy drive and there was NO traffic at that time of night.
Since the concierge staff have left I picked up our registration packet from the front desk and head up to our room on the 6th floor, we were in 6208. A one bedroom savannah view room at the far end of the hall from the lounge.
I unpacked as DH made up the beds for the kids. We all got to bed quickly as we were aiming for park opening at MK the next day and it was 11:30pm.
Up Next MK where is everyone??
!What: Our first ever fall trip to WDW
When: Oct. 4-12
Where: AKV 1br club level, the last night in a regular 1br SV (couldnt get that night on the club level)
Cast: Me, 41 and an obsessed Disney planner
DH, 41 and a lover of Disney but much more laid back and go with the flow
DD, 11 Tink fan and planner-in-training
DS, 8 has Autism, is very high functioning and LOVES WDW
DD, 7 Stitch fan and finally 48in with shoes!
We have to start with a little pre-trip background though I think. DH and I booked this trip back in December 2007 and decided not to say anything to the kids in case we decided to re-schedule, the secret is born
. Weve been many times and decided to keep up the secret to add a new edge to this trip. Then airfares started rising so we booked our plane tickets in April, we were committed. The 2007-08 school year had them off 2 days the week we booked, we thought perfect, a week in WDW and only miss 3 days of school. Well, you guessed it the 2008-09 calendar comes out in May and they have NO days off that week! Well, it would be around $800 to change weeks so theres no turning back now. Fast forward to August, another crisis arises. I read on the DIS how other AKV club level guests are being notified that they are being moved due to exterior construction. The reports keep getting worse and no one really seems to know what is going on. I call and am told, no problem were not impacted. The very next day I get a call telling me were being moved to BWV. Less than 24 hrs after that another call that were not moving and staying at AKV!! AAHHHHH! The days continue to fly by. ADRs - check, t-shirts made for the girls - check, treat bags and costumes made for MNSSHP - check, rental car check, itinerary made (and changed a dozen times) check. As the last weeks approach it is getting harder and harder to keep the secret but we stand firm. Teachers are emailed 3 weeks before the trip, no problems on that end (phew) and they are all aware its a secret. We finally get to the last week and serious cleaning and packing needs to be done. Thank goodness theyre in school for 6hrs a day!
The night before we leave we arrange for them to sleep over at their grandparents so we can actually pack. Ive had plane tickets designed by a talented DISer on the design board so we print those, clip a MNSSHP map (sent to me by a great TGMer) and put them in a mailer envelope addressed to the kids. After lunch at the grandparents we sit them down and give them their mail with the video camera running. Thankfully DD11 reads the ticket and puts it all together and in an instant they are all screaming and hugging each other. Yeah! The response we were hoping for. Although there is a second of apprehension from the girls who will be missing their standardized testing but we assured them their teachers know well be gone and that it will all work out.
We leave the grandparents on a high, everyone all smiles. Home to shower and put on their plane clothes and add a few extra carry-on things to their backpacks and then were off to OHare airport.
We live very close to the airport so the ride is short and uneventful. We are traveling with only carry-ons as I sent a box ahead with all of our liquids and gels. We couldnt check-in on-line so we waited in a fairly short line to check-in. Security was not backed up and none of us were singled out for extra security thankfully. We still need to eat dinner but all we pass on our way to our gate is a Wolfgang Puck Café and a Mediterranean Café, neither high on our kids list. Mental note for next time - check where McDonalds is before heading to your gate. DH and DS trekked back to McDs and brought us back dinner.
This is when we start hearing announcements looking for volunteers to take a flight to Tampa as the Orlando flight is overbooked. It needs to be someone without checked luggage as they cant pull anyones luggage. Hmmm, very interesting
. They were offering a voucher for a free RT ticket good for one year. Well, we decided it was too good of an offer to pass up so before I know it were high tailing it to the opposite end of the terminal to catch a flight to Tampa, 5 free RT tickets in hand. The Tampa flight ends up leaving early and arrives in Tampa 15min early. DHs brother has arranged a rental car for us while we were in flight. Our luck continues there, the agent upgrades us to a mini-van for the full-size price. It is now 10p and we still have to drive to WDW, thankfully it is an easy drive and there was NO traffic at that time of night.Since the concierge staff have left I picked up our registration packet from the front desk and head up to our room on the 6th floor, we were in 6208. A one bedroom savannah view room at the far end of the hall from the lounge.
I unpacked as DH made up the beds for the kids. We all got to bed quickly as we were aiming for park opening at MK the next day and it was 11:30pm.
Up Next MK where is everyone??
and we headed to Fantasyland. We hit Pooh, Pan, Small World, the carousel, Snow White and headed back to ride Space with our FPs. Space doesnt seem as rough to me as last year but once is still enough for DH and I so the kids ride again as the stand-by line was non-existent (posted wait 10min @ 11a but they were in and out in that length of time). By now it is around 11:15 and were hungry for lunch so we hit Cosmic Rays which is thankfully not crowded yet.
holding a tray with chicken nuggets?? Shes not sure what happened but insists she asked for the chicken/ribs combo. I head over to the line to find out what happened and they were more than nice, they got me a ckn/ribs combo and charged me the difference and told me to keep the chicken nuggets as theyd have to throw them away anyway. I wasnt really looking to get anything free but wanted to know what happened so DD11 could learn for the next time.
. The CMs were directing everyone to the left line but then people were switching over to the right inside. We stayed left and literally walked right onto a boat 
but there was a line on the right! You should listen to the CMs if theyre telling you which way to go! Outside there was a Photopass photographer doing the pics with the imaginary Captn Hook so I had the 3 kids in one picture. Next time Ill have them each go alone as I think it would have turned out better. While we were waiting our turn DH went and got everyone ice cream 
. DD7 finished first (because I ate half of her Mickey bar, lol) and she wanted a pic with Hook and Smee. There were only a couple of people in line so we headed over while the rest finished their ice cream. DS8 joined her in the pic since he finished. We headed back to BTM to use our FPs. Splash is back up but it is a 35min wait at 2p. I dont do more than 20min wait so much to DD7s dismay we pass on Splash. It was a hot and humid day and we were running out of gas so we decided to head back to the resort to swim. On the way past Jungle Cruise DH checked the wait, mis-reads the time as 5min so we hop in line. It actually said 15min wait and it was every minute of it. Oh well, the kids werent complaining so all was well. After that we headed out and made our way back to our car and AKL.
.
Sounds like a great time! You guys sure did get a lot accomplished on day 1! Can't wait to read more! 
. DH made me promise though that our next trip will be more relaxed 
.
so we grab FPs and head to MS. DH and DD11 head for the green side and DS and DD7 gladly skip it. Much to DS and DDs surprise I let them take off their socks and shoes and play in the squirt fountain there. It is not my usual mode to let them get wet but I figure its hot and sunny and Id rather let them get wet than listen to them complain the whole time were waiting for DH and DD11. They have a blast and when DH and DD11 return we head to WS and our lunch ADR at Rose and Crown.
in there. Poor DD7 was still a bit damp and was like an ice cube. Service was good, food was a little slow but good. DH had fish & chips, DD11 (a Disney adult) had the soup/sandwich combo, I had the Shepards Pie and both kids had mac & cheese. DH, DD11 and I share all around, if anyone was watching theyd have laughed as the plates kept getting passed around the table. DS8 cleaned his plate but DD7 only ate about half, I think she was just too cold to enjoy it. We got the kid sundaes to go and headed outside to defrost, which didnt take long. We then headed to TT with our FPs and Soarin with FPs thankfully as the standby is a 65min (we got row 1-yeah) and finally Spaceship Earth. The kids really, really liked the new version. 
