Surprising a teenager with a trip to Disney (Updated 10/09)

This TR is so much fun! I am subscribing now and can't wait to read more...thanks for sharing! :)
Jill
 
Thank you for reading. The tea at the Grand Floridian is fun, in a fancy way, if you wanted to just spend a few hours bonding with her.

Do you think we look alike? Chloe and I can't see it but everybody says it!

You know I cant eat there with my on shild due to nut allergies but maybe I should try taking my daughter. She would love that. Thanks for the idea I will look into that.

Yes completly. You guys look like sisters even. Someone told my daughter that she looked like me the other day but boy did she get upset! lol Seeing as how uncool her mom is and all ! I like to tease her about it.
 
Enjoying your TR so far. I had the late night delay last year and thankfully had ME there waiting for me.
 

This has been a fabulous report (and loved the surprise and Chloe's reaction!). Your son did an awesome job with his youtube video - he's got a future there!

We are all anxiously awaiting more!
 
I literally cried when I watched that video, it makes me want to suprise someone!
 
Oh my, I am just loving your TR! Chloe is so freaking cute with her little bows that she wears in her hair. And I love your Mickey denim jacket, perhaps because I have it too!
Can't wait to hear more!
P.S. When I first read, I really thought you were going to come to Baltimore for a long weekend. I thought to myself,being from Baltimore, Why would anyone want to come here? :rotfl:
 
reading your trip report brings it all back. I think it is about three and a half calf cramps from the tree to Everest if you are sprinting, especially if you are pushing a stroller. I am happy to see that Chloe is being a good sport at this stage of no sleep, all hot and having a broken leg. It probably helps to have her mom all to herself! Keep writing!
 
Detox with Pixie Dust

In reviewing my trip report, thus far, it occurred to me that to the casual reader, you might have a skewed view of my relationship with Chloe. This report has been full of joy and happiness, anticipation and elation.

But let me digress for a moment. Chloe is a princess but not the holy, wave ever-so- delicately-at-people-in-a-parade princess. Chloe is MY princess. I have created this spoiled, little bundle of joy. It's my fault that she has prima donna-esque qualities. Sadly, she was not born a royal. She is, however, at times these days, a royal pain in my brain.

In our normal life, we are best friends. I’m her biggest fan. To me, she’s always the best. She’s the smartest, best-dressed, prettiest, most talented girl on the planet. If something happens to her at school or work, I’m the first one she tells. She’s also the person that I fight the very most with in this world. Most days, I get lots of sass and attitude. I have pulled my car over more than once and threatened to turn around and go home if she said one more mean thing to me. We can easily get on each other’s very last nerve. At home, her brothers and I refer to her as the Rhino. She can be bad, as in "The Rhino is charging because you have annoyed it so you'd better RUN!" bad. Behind her back we say “Don’t poke the rhino” which means ask her your question nicely. Do not annoy Chloe.

We have been together on this trip for 24 hours. We’re getting along wonderfully. We actually talk about how well we’re getting along and how nice she’s being to me. She acknowledges that she isn’t always the nicest girl. I tell her that sometimes, when people have a problem with destructive behavior, they go to rehab and work on eliminating that. I suggest that since we have ten days left on the trip, she should try really hard to be nice, no matter what. She is eager to agree. It’s detox with pixie dust.

I am skeptical that she can surpress the urge to lash out at me. I’m hopeful that the trip does not break down into a tension filled experience with the two of us trying to tolerate each other until we return home.

So far, so good.
 
I am loving your report! And you and Chloe could pass for sisters!

I am taking my oldest dd in August 2009 for her 12th birthday, just she and I. We have, as I've always referred to it, a tumultuous relationship. There is no one on this earth who can push my buttons like she can. She is every teacher's dream, high honors, never gets in an ounce of trouble yet with me she'll argue about, well just about anything. Since you shared that last post I am really anxious to hear how the rest of your trip goes with the dynamic between the two of you. I hope you were able to have a wonderful time!

Allyson
 
Detox with Pixie Dust

Chloe is a princess but not the holy, wave ever-so- delicately-at-people-in-a-parade princess. Chloe is MY princess. I have created this spoiled, little bundle of joy. It's my fault that she has prima donna-esque qualities. Sadly, she was not born a royal. She is, however, at times these days, a royal pain in my brain.


I am skeptical that she can surpress the urge to lash out at me. I’m hopeful that the trip does not break down into a tension filled experience with the two of us trying to tolerate each other until we return home.

So far, so good.

Can't wait to hear how it goes for the rest of the trip - sounds like a typical teen mother-daughter relationship, but you're off to a good start :thumbsup2 . pixiedust: can do miraculous things - maybe you were even lucky enough to get the long lasting variety that still worked when you arrived back home!
 
Oh my gosh - you just described my daughter when she was 15 :rotfl: She could be the sweetest, caring, loving daughter to me & sister to her brothers and in the next minute, look out!! Sometimes I felt she had no respect for me at all but she's now 28 and a new mommy and (you can ask her brothers on this one) she's really mellowed out (plus not living together has it's plus).

Wishing you luck in the next several days of being together 24/7 and that the pixie dust keeps her being the precious daughter you love pixiedust:
 
I just found you!! This is a great TR!! Your PTR and reveal had me in tears!! Can't wait to hear more!
 
Day 1, the evening

We have exciting evening plans. It’s the first of several “big girl” evenings. We have Cirque tickets for tonight. We saw the show three years ago from the fourth row, down in front. It was a great place to see the show but I’ve done a little research and found out that farther back is the way to go. I bought front row seats, near center in the second section of the theater. Section 203, Row AA, Seats 16 and 17.

We shower (again). More hairdryers. Even more makeup. Here we are waiting to go to DTD, hoping that the bus full of icy, cold air would get there before we passed out from the heat. Can I tell you that wearing black leggings in Florida when it’s about 100 degrees is about as hot as it gets. Maybe next time, I’ll pack corduroys. Chloe was wearing jeans but didn't complain one second.
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We were early for the show and had time to wait in the very long snack bar line. I’ve never really understood why Cirque has a snack bar. It seems sacrilege to pay $100 a ticket and be forced to sit next to someone chomping down a hot dog and jumbo pretzel. As we sat and sipped glamourously on our large, plastic souvenir cups with the flexy straws, we people watched. These are definitely the ‘see-and-be-seen’ seats too. You are right beside the entrance and everyone walks past you on their way to their seats. So, if you book these seats, make sure to be prepared to stare and be stared at. Someone must have had a change in plans because the seats to Chloe’s right sat empty. What luck for us. It was almost as good as having private suite seats. Speaking of which, as we were people watching, we saw a group being seated way, way up in a suite behind the glass. The lights came on while they were seated, then went out once everyone was in place. How do you get THOSE seats? They were VIPs for sure, right?

We thoroughly enjoyed every minute and gave the show a standing ovation. And then took the standing into a quick sprint down the steps to Wolfgang’s. We have dinner reservations for 830 but the show is over by 730. The location of our seats allows for a quick exit and we run over and check on the possibility of an earlier seating. We are hoping that we get lucky again tonight and get a table by the water. When we reach the front of the line to check in and ask about getting seated an hour earlier than our ressie time, we are told that there is a waterside table available immediately if we wanted to sit outside. Heck yeah! Let’s go.

What a wonderful first day that we’ve had.
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I lectured Chloe on why you should not feed the birds that wandered past the restaurant. Until the servers came out and stood by our table and tossed bread at them.
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I packed copies of all the menus for all the restaurants that I’ve scheduled for the trip. Is it really obsessive-compulsive to know what we will be dining on before we’ve looked at the official menu? We’ll have the salmon and the cheesecake, thanks.
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This is the salmon with saffron mashed potatoes and asparagus. YUM!

After dinner, we walk from the restaurant thru Pleasure Island to the Marketplace. We found these guys in front of Reglan Road. People were gathered around and it was luck double-dutch. Wait and wait and wait and run and jump in and take your turn then run out so someone else can get a picture. Can you imagine if the character meet and greets were like that at the parks?!
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I had read here on the Disboard’s Food Porn thread that the McDonalds in DTD had McRib. McRib is the best sandwich ever invented. They don’t offer them in the northeast anymore. I was so excited about the potential for bagging one. Or ten. Yes, I had just dined on exquisite salmon and delicious cheesecake but I always have room for a McRib! Alas, I got my hopes up for something that was not meant to be because I did not find the McRib on the menu. I can’t lie. I was disappointed.

We walked towards the bus stop, taking pictures of some friendly guys. Do you think that my DH will be jealous?
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I can't take credit for these. I stole the idea from a trip report that I read on here some months ago.


We put in for a wakeup call, watch the seven must sees at Disney AGAIN and go to sleep.

Can you believe that all of this happened in just ONE day? We've arrived in Orlando, went to Animal Kingdom, swam and read, saw Cirque, had dinner at Wolfgang and shopped a little.

Next Up: Another Great and Wonderful Day
 
Just found your TR and I am really enjoying it. Can't wait to hear more.:goodvibes
 
That is so funny that just after you told Chloe not to feed the ducks, the servers come by and feed them. :rotfl2:
 
loving your report!
 
Thanks, everyone for your patience. There is still lots of great stuff to come. A new update is coming this afternoon. :cool1:

Here are some random pictures from Day 1.
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