The “Gonna Finish What We Started” Pre-Trip Report. *new 1/3

[DopeyDonald]

Hi My name is Emily. This is going to be a very special trip for our family. Our last annual trip in September didnt quite go as planned and this is going to be our in your face, you cant get US down make up trip. You see, on our trip in September, which by the way was supposed to be THE GREATEST TRIP EVER!!! (my first mistake was calling it that lol), my littlest daughter, Cassidy (4 almost 5) got very sick.

We thought she had the stomach flu. After 36 hrs of throwing up and one in room Dr. Visit, we took her to the E.R. We assumed she was just dehydrated and needed some I.V. fluids. A CT Scan revealed she had a 15cm mass in her abdomen. After an ambulance ride and an overnight stay at Florida Childrens for her, myself and my husband, we flew home to Minneapolis to seek treatment. My other kiddos and my parents stayed in Florida to finish out our vacation.

In Minneapolis, it was found that she has a very rare condition called Lymphatic Malformation. It is a congenital birth defect of sorts. The condition itself is benign, but complications can arise in the locale of the cystic masses. Hers is/was located in her abdomen. She had a successful (for now) surgery in September and is recovering very well. This is something that can return and be a bother or become more serious. If you would like to read more about our saga I did write a trip report about our experience. It's called the Short But Not Sweet Trip Report. I will try and link it in my signature.

Pretty much from the moment we left Florida, we were determined that we would get my Cassidy back. This was her 5th birthday trip. The kid is lucky enough to have spent her 2nd, 3rd, and 4th birthday at WDW. This was supposed to be extra special since she was turning 5. We had her actual birthday meal with cake planned for Cinderellas Royal Table. We had Pirates League appointments for all 5 of us to become Jack and his Skeleton Crew for the MNSSHP planned. We had Teas and Lunches with Imagineers and all kinds of amazing things to do. We began our trip on a Thursday and she was sick by Sunday. We did get many fun things accomplished, but still had so many yet to do.

I struggle with the feelings we have regarding this. Cassidys health and well being is so much more important than any vacation could ever be to us. We were focused solely on her and her surgery and recovery. In fact for quite a few weeks I was angry at Disney World lol. I got a bad feeling every time I so much as thought about it. I especially couldnt picture staying at VWL ever again. Its where her illness stared and where I spent 2 days with a throwing up kid.

That being said, the success of her surgery was so amazing and she is doing so well. Our hospital bills were much lower than anticipated also, due to my husbands amazing insurance policy. We started kicking around heading back to finish what we started. I know most of those who are reading this will understand. WDW is so much more to us than a theme park. Sure we love the rides and the characters and the million things to do. But its more than that.

For those days there are no phones, emails, IPods. No more Daddy being gone all week for work. No more exhausted, frustrated mommy from Daddy being gone all week at work. Its just us. And we kinda like each other. Disney is our time to remember that. And we sorely missed it. Especially now, after all that we went through in September.

Also, while my daughters condition is well and stable now, its possible that she could have a flare at any time. This is probably the negativity in my mommy personality coming out Im sure, but we just dont know. From what little is known about this condition, she more than likely WILL deal with it again at some point in her life. So we are going to LIVE every day and make all the awesome memories that we can. She very well likely could be just fine for a long, long time, but a Disney Trip will never be regretted! Lol. She is also taking some heavy duty meds right now that have some long term worries, so again, were gonna get while the getting is good.

Here is a pic to show just what she had in her tiny body and how successful the surgery was. Large Areas of White = BAD.

Wow that was the long intro, thanks if you read it all......



INTRODUCTIONS
WHEN AND WHERE
DAY ONE PLANS
*Scratching Record Sound - BIG CHANGES
New Arrival Day Plans

 

[BridgetR3]

I am so excited that you get to finish what you started!!! I can't wait to read along on all the good things that will happen this trip!

 

[DopeyDonald]

I am so excited that you get to finish what you started!!! I can't wait to read along on all the good things that will happen this trip!

Thanks! We are beyond excited. Cassidy talks about it every day. We have some fun things planned that's for sure! Thanks for reading along. Maybe I won't have to talk to myself, I do that enough in Wal-Mart already..... lol

 

[DopeyDonald]

Introductions:

Me – Emily. I am a stay at home mom. I home-school our 3 kiddos. Some important facts about me include: I LOVE Donald. My kids kind of think I can be Donald. I also like Dopey. A very wise CM once told me that it was OK, even necessary, for every one to have 2 absolute favorite characters. You need them to balance each other out. An angel and a devil on your shoulder so to speak. Donald and Dopey fit that bill perfectly!

Here is a pic from our September 2011 trip that sums up how I feel about Donald.

I literally told my 2 girls that waited in a stifling hot 20 minute line with me – stand to the side when we get up there – you can meet Mulan after this, but this one is ALL about me. LOL. I still haven’t met Dopey yet (other than at a MNSSHP with all the other dwarfs.). I can’t wait for the day I see him out with Snow White. I’m sure I will shove her to the side for some Dopey pics. LOL

Here is a pic of me with my DH in all of my Dopey glory.

Speaking of DH: He is a Territory Manager for a company that services and supplies convenience stores. He is on the road – A LOT. His favorite characters are Goofy and Grumpy. I had to convince him that our trip in 2010 was going to be fun – we’d been together to WDW in 2000 so he was familiar with WDW, but couldn’t figure out how we were going to pass 8 days. Fast forward to this trip and he’s begging me to add days on to it. He LOVES it as much as I do and it really is his happy place.

Here is DH last year as a Pirate - he did Pirate's League with DS for the MNSSHP.

Next is my DS – Wyatt. He is 11 and if possible, he loves Disney more than DH and I. He is going to be a vet at Animal Kingdom someday (according to him). His biggest concern with that is whether or not he’ll be able to ride EE on his lunch break. His characters are Mickey and Stitch. In fact, we just got a new yellow lab pup about 3 weeks ago and his name is Stitch. Walt is his hero and he has written a paper or two in school about him. I hope his love continues throughout his life.

And of course a picture of Stitch

Don't let his sleepy innocence fool you. His badness level is unusually high for someone of his size. LOL

Then there’s my DD – Annie. She is 8 and is my girly girl. She loves Minnie Mouse and Jasmine. She loves spending time one on one at Disney. Being stuck in the middle at home a lot, we make sure to schedule some Annie time at WDW. Her and I usually do a Tea together (this year Cassidy will be coming with her blessing). Her and DH usually do something special also. This trip they will be doing a Fireworks Dessert Party and a dinner at Teppan Edo together.

Here is a pic of Annie with her fave server at WCC. She fell in love with Billie in September - she wanted Billie to adopt her and Billie was more than willing - lol. We were scheduled to have dinner there one more time to see her but that unfortunately didn't happen.

Last but not least is DD – Cassidy. She is 5. She is my baby. I will probably carry that kid until her feet drag on the floor, like a little girl clutching a dolly. It’s an agreement we both have. She doesn’t mind and neither do I. She has a million favorite characters – I really do believe she loves them all. She doesn’t like rides with drops. Or Dinosaur. Or Pirates. It can be a challenge to get her to try new things, but we try not to push her.

Here she is at the 1900 PF Dinner the night she got sick. I LOVE that dinner! The SS's are so funny - we always have a great time there.

Also here is poor Cassidy on our trip in 2011. THAT trip she spent in a full leg cast! She broke her femur about 2 weeks before we left.

So there you have it. That’s us.

 

[DopeyDonald]

When and Where:

At first, we thought about trying for the 1st week in Dec. We went at that time last year and loved it. However, I didn't feel comfortable heading down for a few reasons.....

One being we've only had Stitch for a few weeks, I didn't want to put him in a kennel for a week yet. Another being, while I loved the time of year last year, it did get a bit crazy with decorating, baking and holiday programs and etc. And my nerves already being somewhat shot, figured I'd better not push it this year. This way we will have an extra 8 weeks to come up with a bit more spending money also.

So.....
We are heading to POR January 28th thru February 5th. I went back and forth on a few different weeks in January, but ultimately decided on this week for a few reasons.
I really thought about the around Marathon weekend, but wanted to choose a later date incase we really like January and want to get annual passes. We need our trip next year then to be before our Jan dates this year.

South West's low fares finally cemented the dates. I was able to get $100 each way with the dates I chose. Any other dates around them were $120 - which is still great, but hey I'll take that extra $200!

We chose POR because of it's ability to have a family of 5, first and foremost. We also think we'll really like the theming. Being that our heart belongs to the Lodge, but it's so expensive for our family of 5 to stay there, it's the second best choice in my opinion. Renting points gets us close, but I really am not sure if I'll ever feel comfortable renting them again with Cassidy's situation. For the foreseeable future at least.....

I was also lucky enough to get a free dining pin for our dates. This was HUGE. I was booked in with the SPD deal and I thought that was great. Then Free Dining saved me another $650 or so. We're not usually dining plan people as we rent points for the VWL and have kitchen. Plus we don't usually order dessert etc. BUT since we don't have a kitchen, I think FD will end up saving us the most. It's the ONLY way I was able to entertain the idea of having a redo reservation at CRT.

I am a bit nervous about the size of the room, but we crammed all 5 of us in a Studio at VWL for one night last trip (shhhhhhh - lol) and it was fine. I was pleasantly surprised that we didn't kill each other or even want to. I realize the rooms at POR are a bit smaller still, but we have a pool view room, so I'm counting on using that as our "balcony" where DH and DS will sit for hours in the evening after we get back from the parks and just relax. I'm assuming it also means that I will be close to the laundry which will be nice, since I'm spoiled and usually have a w/d in the villa.

It also helps that my mom and girls stayed in a royal room at POR this past Sept. So I was able to check out the resort a bit. I loved it. The gift shop is amazing, as is the food court. We love the Mercantile and Roaring Forks, but I will admit that POR bested WL in these two areas.... lol My kids are just thrilled that they sell sugar tubes there - lol.

I think that's all about our general plans....I will break it down day by day next...... This is actually very helpful as I'm feeling kinda crazy about this trip. I'm trying hard not to jinx ourselves again, but making it a perfect trip. In all honesty, I'm actually a bit nervous being there again. But for the most part - WE CANNOT WAIT!!!!

 

[BridgetR3]

I would think that it's normal to be nervous about returning. You will all have a great time though!!

While I love renting points, there really is no flexibility in it and so I think you are better off at POR. Free dining sounds great!! Hakuna Matata .....no worries!

I also think you picked a great time "crowd wise" and that you will not have to fight the crowds to enjoy the parks!

 

[DopeyDonald]

I would think that it's normal to be nervous about returning. You will all have a great time though!!

While I love renting points, there really is no flexibility in it and so I think you are better off at POR. Free dining sounds great!! Hakuna Matata .....no worries!

I also think you picked a great time "crowd wise" and that you will not have to fight the crowds to enjoy the parks!

Thanks, we are ridiculously excited. Our topic of conversation at dinner each night is "tell me what we're doing each day and where we are eating." and that's my DH. LOL.

I really am excited about POR - I think that will help make it seem like a new exciting trip and help with any bad memories. Cassidy did want t go back to the VWL to the "throw up room", but once we told her that POR was where her and Nana stayed in the Tiana room she was good with it. I think she was thinking that POR wasn't Disney or something. She's always convinced that we are taking her to the Dr. when she doesn't know EXACTLY where we are going...

Larry and I went in Jan of 2000 and it was so quiet. I know it's increased in business since then, but hoping it's still fairly quiet. September is usually pretty dead, but it has picked up over the 4 years we've been going. We are just gonna go with the attitude that it is probably going to be more busy than we are used to, but it's going not going to be 10,000 degrees like September, so it's all good. Then if it's more quiet, that will just be a pleasant surprise. Only negative for this trip so far is that SPLASH will be closed Cassidy will be so happy - lol

 

[DopeyDonald]

Day one plans:

I’m not sure why I start planning these trips so early, I change my plans about 100 times before we get there, and then usually once we get there!
That being said, I think we’ve finally nailed down our day one plans. The last 3 trips we’ve had an annual pass, so we didn’t have to worry about number of days or park hoppers. Since this is the tightest our budget has been, I think we will just get 7 day regular tickets for now. I’m planning on having to add the park hopper option once we get there if need be, which I’m thinking we will, but…… lol

This is the earliest we’ve ever landed in Orlando. Our flight lands at 12:35pm. We are renting a car so we’ll go and get our bags and then pick out our car. From there my plan, depending on what time it is – is to head to POR to check in, or else head straight to DTD to eat at T-rex. None of us eat very well at the airport or on the plane, so I’m sure we’ll be starving. We’ve eaten at T-Rex before and we loved it. Cassidy wants to get a replacement build-a-dino as our last one had its eyes eaten by the dog – lol.
(gonna add in a pic or 2 to spice this thing up - lol)

Here is Cassidy making a "wish" for her Dino heart last time we were there in 2012.

Here is the finished "Roary" Sadly, Roary now has band-aids covering the holes where his eyes used to live... lol

As of right now I have a reservation for 2:30. I’m not sure how that will work into things time wise but we will see. I kind of wanted to do T-Rex later in the trip as I have a $50 Landry’s gift card to use, but don’t’ want to use it if we are needing Table Service meals to use up our credits. I can always see what the bill is too I suppose.

Another must do for us is to ride the carousel at DTD. Well, I should say for DH and the kids to ride. I so much as look at it and I wanna throw up - lol.

I love this pic - I love that my growing up son still loves a ride on the carousel....

After eating, I’d like to shop around a bit, maybe get some Goofy’s treats (I will be eating a least 20 of the chocolate covered pineapple spears this trip!) to take back with us or else maybe get a Ghiardelli Sundae or two to share. My DH has never had one and needs to be properly introduced that’s for sure!

After that, I believe our plan is just to explore POR, maybe take in the campfire, or movie. I know if the temp is right there will be some swimming happening.

All in all, I hope a low key relaxing beginning to a jam packed trip!

So to recap:

Flight leaves MSP at 8:10am
Nonstop to MCO arriving at 12:35pm
Get car and bags.
Depending on time head to POR to check in or head straight to DTD and T-Rex.
T-Rex for late lunch at 2:30. Build a Dino is a must do.
Shopping, Candy and Ice Cream.
Back to POR for swimming, exploring, gift shopping, possible movie, relaxation!

 

[shalom]

I’m not sure why I start planning these trips so early, I change my plans about 100 times before we get there, and then usually once we get there!

Ditto and ditto. I finally decided I plan them so early just because I like planning. Also, planning and replanning gets you familiar enough with stuff that your last minute changes are less likely to be disastrous.

I love the pic of Cassidy with the dino heart. Whoever came up with that whole process of making those kinda critters is a genius!

Also like your son's grin in that carousel picture. Plus I had to double check the location, because you made the carousel look much more impressive than it actually is!

 

[DopeyDonald]

Wow - I feel like I need to insert the "scratching record" sound here. We have just totally revamped our trip down to the dates we are going!!

I was stressing out very much about our trip in January. First off, the balance due date of Dec. 14th was causing me great stress - with the holidays and Christmas presents to buy, I was really worried. Second, the kiddos were already behind in their schooling a bit due to Cassidy's hospital stay.

So..... We are now scheduled to head down on Sunday, February 23rd. We will be staying until Monday, March 3rd. We are still staying at POR with free dining. All of our plans however, changed with what reservations we were able to secure. I will share those as I make them.

So 52 days to go!!!!

 

[DopeyDonald]

Alright - New Plans
The Where is the same: POR Riverside
The When has changed: New Dates: Feb 23rd thru March 3rd.

I am looking forward to these new dates - gives us a bit of time to recover after the busy holiday season. And gives us time to get our taxes back!! lol

Our flight out of Minneapolis has us arriving in Orlando around 11am. We will pick up our rental car, bags and head to POR. We may actually stop at Chick-Fil-A but I doubt it. It always seems like a good idea, but no ones wants to actually stop - they want to get to Disney!

We will get to POR, see if our room is ready - crossing fingers it will be. If it is we will probably get settled, check out the pool (depending on the temp and just explore the resort. If it's not I think we'll head to DTD. We may head here later in the afternoon no matter what. I'm glad POR has the boat, it will ease the pain of missing the WL boat .

That evening we have an ADR at 8:20pm for Ohana's. This will be our first time eating here for dinner. We are so excited - my husband especially. He loves meat - lol. We love the poly and usually eat breakfast here at least once. Wishes is early at 8pm this night, so hopefully we can watch from the windows, but it will probably be going on just as we are seated - lol.

Our plan is to try and eat and just head back to relax and get ready for the next day. I would REALLY like to get earlier starts than we are used to. We normally don't get to the parks until 10am. This trip is shorter than we are used to, so I want to maximize our park time.

We will see what happens - I am very excited and feel good about our first day's plans.

 

[pwdebbie]

I was cleaning up old subscriptions and followed your link to this PTR. I got here just in time! Have a wonderful trip!