The Bad Mothers' Handbook Pre-Trippy *Updated 13/10 with itinerary*

[TigerKat]

Great surprise!!! I wish we could have seen their faces. Happy New Year!

 

[wicket2005]

Just caught up with this, I hope you all have a fantastic time doing all the planning and all your wishes for the holiday come true. What a lovely surprise to give the kids. My hubbie actually fancied this (he doesn't like Disney) but I was describing some of the photos Mandy had posted and he quite liked the idea (even if he does suffer from sea sickness on a mill pond). So looking forward to hearing all about this element of your holiday too.

Don't worry the time literally flies by but I quite like all the anticipation and talking about the holiday prior to departure.

 

[jen_uk]

What a great surprise! Love the video

 

[Pinky166]

What a great surprise for the children.

 

[Chilly]

great video, wish you filmed their faces!

 

[wilma-bride]

Great surprise!!! I wish we could have seen their faces. Happy New Year!

great video, wish you filmed their faces!

Would you believe, I actually charged up the video camera in order to capture the occasion on film - and then completely forgot to film it. I feel like such an idiot as it would have been a precious momento - their reactions truly were brilliant.

My hubbie actually fancied this (he doesn't like Disney) but I was describing some of the photos Mandy had posted and he quite liked the idea (even if he does suffer from sea sickness on a mill pond). So looking forward to hearing all about this element of your holiday too.

Bev, one of my New Years Resolutions to myself was to get around to doing a trip report from the August 2007 trip that DH and I took, which included a Disney Cruise so you may be interested in that once I get round to it too

 

[wicket2005]

Bev, one of my New Years Resolutions to myself was to get around to doing a trip report from the August 2007 trip that DH and I took, which included a Disney Cruise so you may be interested in that once I get round to it too

Look forward to it Joh.

 

[CustardTart]

What a fab way of telling them, girls! Absolutely love the vid...

 

[natalielongstaff]

Just caught up with this, I hope you all have a fantastic time doing all the planning and all your wishes for the holiday come true. What a lovely surprise to give the kids. My hubbie actually fancied this (he doesn't like Disney) but I was describing some of the photos Mandy had posted and he quite liked the idea (even if he does suffer from sea sickness on a mill pond). So looking forward to hearing all about this element of your holiday too.

keep an eye for my input then im not the best traveller !!

 

[thelittlemermaid83]

Wow just found this

What a lovely suprise and the video was lovely. I bet the kids are so excited.

 

[Nubbedy]

Just found this too, and will be following with interest. Loved the video - you are going to have such a fantastic time.

Sara.

 

[Minniespal]

A wonderful way of telling them. The vid is fantastic.

 

[Ware Bears]

Oh my, I was on the main page and the title The Bad Mothers' Handbook caught my eye. What luck!! I have so enjoyed reading this!

I love how you surprised your kids about the cruise ~ we told our DDs about our cruise at Christmas too and all I can say is phew, it's such a relief not to have to keep it secret anymore.

Joh, I'd love to read a TR on your first cruise too.

 

[natalielongstaff]

thanks for all the great comments i for one can't wait to take this trip !

 

[Snowy-girls]

Great update Ladies .What a fantastic suprise-i also wished to have been a fly on the wall as the secret was revealed-Joh i can't believe you forgot to film it .x.

 

[jns]

Sounds like a great trip planned by both of you
looking forward to reading all about it
Good luck with the 7 month DVC window

 

[mandymouse]

What a 'Wonder'ful way to tell the kids ~ you all must be so excited about it ~ happy planning

 

[natalielongstaff]

What a 'Wonder'ful way to tell the kids ~ you all must be so excited about it ~ happy planning

Excited cannot begin to describe it joh's planning the next trip already

 

[disneyhockeymad]

I've just found this!! And I'm glad I have, it's fantastic!!
What a fantastic way to tell your kids, maybe you're title isn't so applicable after all!!

 

[wilma-bride]

There is much excitement in the Alcock and Longstaff households today as we are celebrating having secured a reservation at Animal Kingdom Villas.

Having spent all morning at work, clock watching, with a stomach full of butterflies I was on the phone to Member Services on the dot of 1 pm, spoke to a lovely lady called Eleanor who was most bemused by my excitement when she confirmed the bookings.

Nat: I have also spent the day quietly panicking about the outcome of the phone call.

Meanwhile, in the past months since our last update, the plans have been coming along nicely.

Thanks to a post on the UK Trip Planning Board some months ago regarding a Holiday Autos car hire sale, we managed to book a 9-seater van for a fortnight, for the bargain price of £387.00.

Natalie and I both started our diets in the New Year and have managed to lose 20 lbs and 21.5 lbs respectively (although I still have a long way to go).

It feels so much more real now we know where we will actually be staying. DH wasn’t impressed when I told him that I’d phoned Nat first to break the news – but then followed it up with “I don’t know why you’re so excited, it’s just a place to sleep”. Yes, dear, that reaction is exactly why Nat found out first! Just another example of my husband’s attitude to the holiday and his bemusement of mine and Nat’s constant, in-depth discussions of it surfaced during one of our regular phone calls last night.

Nat: As some of you are aware Johns job has been restructured and it means that he will no longer be working the night shift! Whilst this is fab for him I’m rather gutted that I’m going to have to share the bed every night. Joh made a comment on the fact that she gives our marriage a matter of months, due to this, and when she relayed to Gary that the holiday may be off due to a divorce he remarked...John can still come !! So, thanks Gary, you are making your own tea now.

So, what next…

Nat, John and the kids are spending the weekend here and, in between eating and drinking, we will have a ‘family pow-wow’ where we will decide exactly which parks we want to (and have time to) visit. Having already decided once, we are finding that we have more parks than days and, tehrefore, may need to cut back a bit on what we try to do.

The next milestone date will be 1st April when, yet again, I will spend the morning feeling nervous, before calling Member Services to try and get the much-coveted reservation at Bay Lake Towers.

Hopefully, soon after that, park hours for October will be released and then the planning can begin in earnest.

Meanwhile, to keep you all amused, here are some pictures of our previous trips…



The Alcock Family - 2004 (well, me and Gary )

The Longstaff Family - 2004

The Alcock Family - 2005 (just me and Gary again, actually)

The Longstaff Family - 2005

For anyone in doubt, Nat's the one on the right

The Alcock Family - 2006

The Alcock Family - 2007 (sorry, just me and Gary again)

The Longstaff Family - 2007

The Alcock Family - 2007