The Anniversary trip that Turned into an Anniversary Gift PTR

[disneywatcher]

HI! I've been sitting here reading several PTR's and TR's and couldnt just sit by and not share mine. I guess I should start back at the begining and tell you about those who are going on this trip.

There is Me

Amanda- 30 years old- First trip to WDW- Able to panic in a moment's notice. Lover of laughter, books, good food and was secretly obsessed with the Mouse for YEARS

My DD's

Meghan~9 Years old~Wants to be taller so always stands on her tip toes~Doesn't like to be the center of attention~Rode her first roller coaster when she was 7 under much trickery

Hailey~5 years old~ ADHD with an emphisis on the H~Very affectionate~Daredevil extreme, loves rides in general and character meet and greets (asked an Easter Bunny at the mall to come home with her)~Lover of chicken nuggets

Gillian~1 Year old~Free Spirit~Affectionate as all get out~ Can almost say "Mickey Mouse"

Brigette~My "Little" Sister~ Havent seen her since I was in High School~Currently CPR and Life guard training certified~ Taking a break from her duties at a Boy Scout's of America Camp to accompany me on this trip.

Now that the players are out of the way on with the story.

 

[disneywatcher]

The origins of this trip started almost 3 years ago. DH was comming up on yet another deployment and the subject of our 10 year anniversary came up. I told him it would be really cool if we could take a Family trip to celebrate our special day and as if on que he mentioned "I would like to take the girls to WDW." We decided to make this happen we would wait until he was in the Army for 15 years, take some money out of his retirement plan, pay off some bills and use that money to pay for our trip. So we waited and waited. He got deployed and when the time came and the funds were in place I pounced onto the Disney website to price things. We had hashed out before hand that we wanted to stay at the Wilderness Lodge (His and Meghan's pick, I wanted to stay at the Boardwalk). I didnt feel safe about using the website so I called the Disney Reservation line. The CM I talked to was very helpful in planning. The only thing that fell short of making every list we wanted was WL was not available for the time frame we wanted (July 13-19th) but Animal Kingdom Lodge was with a Savannah view. So we booked the room with the Deluxe Dining Plan and one day park hopper passes. The plan was to take advantage of the Military ticket prices to save money that way and buy our own airfaire. Well the airfare was the easy part, went to Continental airlines and booked our seats. I thought DH had to be home to do the ticket purchase so we waited until he got home to do that.

Fastforward about 6 months. DH comes home to his very excited ladies and I go into FULL planning mode. After all our days to make our ADR's are comming up, there's clothes to buy (then again it's October in NY so what can I possibly get to pack) and children to inform! DH get's me to calm down but all the while there are visions of The Main Cheese in my head.....

 

[disneywatcher]

So again we fastforward. It's 2010, and I had just found out about the 40% off room packages for the Military so I called the hotline again to find out if we qualified for when our stay was. The CM on the phone said we did and that we were going to be getting a 1k credit back to us! I then jokingly said "If there are any cancelations at the Wilderness Lodge we'd happily take that" She looked and asked if that was our first choice and I told her "Yes it was but at the time we booked it wasn't an option." to which she said "Well it is now! We have a bunkbed courtyard view room that has come available." I said immediately "We'll take it!" which also got us 700 dollars more back! I was extatic! About this time DH and I also went to the Ticket and Tours MWR location on post and got the form for our tickets and started to fill it out and get our cash together. We took it back within 2 days and waited for our call from the MWR office letting us know our tickets were in.


Up Next~I cant leave the drama to my Momma!

 

[disneywatcher]

So now it's getting close to May and DH tells me they have training in Colorado but not to worry because he should be on the group going from sometime in June to July 1st. Come the middle of May he changes his tune and calls me when I'm picking up the girls from school and taking them to McDonalds for some apple slices for them and a coke for me.

Him~ "I need to talk to you when I get home"
Me~ "Oh no what's wrong now?"
Him~ "I wont be able to go to WDW in July because I just found out I'll be in Colorado from the 1st till the 17th."
Me~ "WHAT!" *crying hysterically into the cell phone on speaker while trying to order*

I went into full panic mode! I called my friend Amy in GA and she kept telling me it would work it's self out, I called my Momma who said it was a crock and my little sister in WA who said she was so sorry and she wished she could go with me instead.

DH get's home and we realize that there is no way to salvage the money for the plane tickets because I didnt buy insurance on them and at this time he looks at my tear stained face and tells me "Find someone to go in my place and this will be your Anniversary present." I racked my brain. There is my friend who lives across the street but she's got a daughter and fostering a little boy. There's my other friend but she also has a daughter, there is my Mom but her work is already giving her friction about taking off for her Anniversary in April, time off in August to spend a week alone with my oldest daughter and time in November for her sister to take her away for a week for her birthday. Then it hits me....Brigette! I know she would be up to go but the question is would my Dad and Step mom let her and would they pay for her plane ticket? I called her up and she said that she would be working at a boy scout camp but she didnt think they wouldn't let her go. She will call me back and let me know if she can go......

Up Next....PLEASE DAD!

 

[disneywatcher]

Brigette calls up to the camp director and talks to his wife who says it shouldn't be a problem so long as she finds a replacement for that week. So she goes onto Facebook and post's an all out bulitin asking for people who are certified Lifeguards.

In the end the person she selected backed out because they got a job somewhere else. By now I was worried and my little sister was on the phone with the camp director who was not happy about this at all. The water activities director came through though and said he would take up her classes for the week she was gone.

I had already called Disney and explained the situation and they let me switch out DH's name with my little sister's without a problem. So she was on our ressies.

This whole time there had been some dispute going on with my Dad and Step mom in regards to Brigette going. "It's to much money!" "What about your job?" the list goes on and on. I emailed Brigette a copy of the invoice from Disney showing everything was paid for, pictures of the Military Salute tickets (which had come about the same time DH told me not to worry about him not being able to come) and information about the Deluxe Dining Plan. Apparently my Step Mom wanted to go and was peeved that I had asked my sister instead of her. In the end, she flat out told them that I wanted her to go with me and the girls and that she wanted to go with us. They gave her the go ahead but waited to buy her plane tickets till her work situation was cleared up.