The conversion process begins.....(insert evil laugh here)

[bayleebugs_mom]

So maybe not the catchiest title out there but it is my evil plan.....

My parents have never been to Disneyworld (GASP) so I decided they HAVE to go so they can have this experience with their only grandchild. In other words, their anniversary is coming up and I want to go to Disney therefore they are getting a trip as a gift from DH and I! In their defense they have went to Disneyland but there was almost a knife fight in line for the Haunted Mansion and it was UGLY! You will all get those lovely details later....it really is a funny story once you realize no one actually got stabbed!

Hello Dis Friends! This is my very first ever attempt at a pre-trip report (hopefully enough people read and I will get to do a trip report too)! I cannot wait to get back to my happy place and things are going to be a bit different this time. We are planning our vacation for May 26-June 5, 2011. It will be me, DH, DD, and my parents for their wedding anniversary. This trip is our gift to my parents this year and I am more excited about it than they are but that is because they don't get it yet....I have the utmost faith that they will before we get back home.

Things to know about me:
1) I love to plan the trips as much as I like to go.....I know this is a problem that most of us here have which is why we are here. I like to think of you all as my little support group except you always encourage me to take the cookies instead of leave them behind....maybe you aren't a support group after all.....you are ENABLERS!

2) I will try, most of the time unsuccessfully, to make you all laugh. I have my moments of humor but my sister got the wits in the family so you are stuck with me. Sorry!

3) I love my family more than anything in this world. My DD and DH are the most important part of my life. I brag on my child like a good mother should. Is she spoiled? Without a doubt but she is not bratty about it....I have a low tolerance for brattiness.

4) I am doing this as an outlet. My job is extremely strressful and my DH works between AZ, VA, PA, and now maybe LA so I need to talk to someone about Disney. Although, as you will soon learn, he totally gets it and I am so very glad that he does or he would spend many days at home alone because I will get my fix!

In the next post....pictures and more introductions.....

Oh and let me know if you are reading...I am a self-proclaimed lurker but I am urging every one that reads to join in.....feel free to discuss, chat, or chime in with thoughts or suggestions. I will try to be a good southern hostess and reply to you all!

 

[bayleebugs_mom]

Ok so now you have some basic information now it is the part of the trip where you get to put faces with the names! This is one of my favorite parts about trip reports.....I like to look at pictures! Please feel free to OOOH and AAAH!!

Up first: Me (I am writing it so I get to be first!)

Things I love: FRIENDS, medical dramas on TV, college football specifically my Razorbacks, scrapbooking, reading, Wii, concerts, shoes, purses, and everything about Disney!

Things I don't really like: the sound my daughter is making right now as I type this....she does not want to go to sleep and is doing a weird wailing noise, mean people, unsweet tea, NFL players that say they are going to retire and NEVER GO AWAY, and my husband's taste in music!

Now we have DH:

Things he loves: bad music, Tinkerbell, concerts, old Chevy trucks, hunting, fishing, cooking, and ME!

Things he doesn't really like: rap music (despite him trying to turn my DD's Adidas' into the ones Run DMC use to wear), liver, and Prince Charming. I am not quite sure what he has against the Prince!

DD6 (sorry for picture overload):

What she likes: Disneyworld, music in general (she sings all the time), princesses, reading, twirling, painting, playing dress up and all those other completely girly-girl things!

What she doesn't like: Joe Jonas' glasses, getting up in the morning, going to bed at night, Justin Bieber (thank you God), and hamburger meat (which means we eat a lot of chicken at Disney....)

My mom (who would kill me for posting her picture):

What she likes: playing on the computer, Pepsi (her mothership...which will be a problem at WDW), playing with her grandchild, playing in her and my dad's southern gospel band, and she will ride anything (which should be fun!!)

What she dislikes: old trucks, disrespectful teenagers, anyone that picks at her grandchild, and wastefulness

Last but not least my dad:

What he likes: music (he sings and can play anything), old trucks (hence my mother's dislike for them), football, food, and his grandbaby

What he dislikes: people who mess with his girls (that would be my DD, me, my mom and my sister), cursing, messiness, and that is actually all I can think of....he is a pretty happy go lucky guy!

Now there would have been two more people on this journey but they didn't want to go to Disney because it isn't their "thing." I can't even begin to understand this but oh well if they wanted to pass up a paid for trip that one is on them! They don't know it yet but their "flat" versions will be ever present on our trip....LOL!! My sister and her husband didn't even want to go and back out, nope they never even entertained the thought! So we will take them against their will!

Up next....the ghosts of trips past.....

 

[bayleebugs_mom]

I feel I should explain a couple of things about my picture and the one of DH.

The pic of me is taken on the WDW Railroad....we were exhausted and it was pouring. It was that good exhausted. At our house we call it "Disney Tired." I know you know what I mean. There is tired and then there is that feeling of absolute exhaustion that you get from too much walking in parks, eating too much food, waiting for buses, and hiking through your resort.....that is the best tired in the whole world!

As for DH's pic, well the first time DD and I took him to Florida he took a silly picture with his hair like that with his toothbrush in his mouth and ever since he recreates that wonderful hair style every trip. It always makes DD and I crack up. It seemed appropriate that you too get to laugh at him! Trust me he doesn't mind...he is quite good-natured about those kinds of things!

***next up: Your regularly scheduled pre-trip report segment, the Ghosts of Trips Past***

 

[bayleebugs_mom]

As previously promised here are little mini trip reports from my past trips to Disney.

My first trip was to Disneyland in about 1983. I remember very little about this trip and there are NO pictures to even prove I was there. My dad has always driven a truck for a living and one summer my mom and I went with him all summer. We went from Oklahoma to California every week. Well one week we were stuck in LA. Dad had promised me that if we couldn't get a load out of LA then we could go to Disneyland. Well, I got all excited because it looked like we were stuck and then it happened. They called and said they had a load for us to head back to Oklahoma. Dad told mom I overheard and the tears started. Dad let them know that we would be staying and I got to go to Disneyland. In retrospect this story kind of makes me sound like a brat....I really wasn't. Growing up I remember getting to go to Disneyland once and then we took a family vacation when my mom was preggo with my sister and that was it! So the tears were from complete heartbreak, not brattiness....but I digress. So off we went! I remember very little about this trip. I can't even tell you what the castle looked like, any sounds, or if I even saw Mickey but what I remember is still very magical to me. We rode three rides that I remember: the Carosel, It's A Small World, and Mr. Toad. I remember the exact feeling I had on every single ride that day....I thought that carosel was the fastest ride in the world. I had never spun so fast in my life in my little five year old mind. I remember loving Small World, not because of the dolls but because it was air conditioned. Mr. Toad, well, it scared me to death!! I can't remember why but it did. I haven't gotten to go back to find out if it is actually scary or it just seemed that way for me then.

So that is Disney experience number one......next Disneyland, without me!

 

[bayleebugs_mom]

The next trip to Disneyland happened about a year later. My parents were again in Southern California and had no load back to Oklahoma so they decided to go to Disneyland to kill some time. I obviously was not there so I don't know what they did to be honest but this is where the knife fight comes in to play so it is a story that is worth telling....

My parents were in line for the Haunted Mansion. The line was long and it was hot so I am guessing maybe everyone's mood was a little on edge. Then it happened....two guys cut in front of my parents. Does it happen, yes....is it worth getting killed over, no but to my dad on that day he was not letting it go without saying something....so he did. I don't know what he said but I know that it resulted in the nice man in front of him pulling out a knife and threatening him and my mom. My mother, instead of being horrified, decided that she would assist my father in this fight that she just knew was about to insue....she was smart though as she was going to fight the unarmed man. No fight actually broke out but there will be several bouts of teasing on this upcoming trip with my parents about them almost getting into a knife fight at Disneyland.

 

[bayleebugs_mom]

So as I previously stated this is my parent's first trip to the world and it is their 28th wedding anniversary. Here is what we have planned so far. Be assured I don't change plans....what I have planned from the get go is what I will have when we arrive unless some amazing deal comes along that I cannot resist.

Leave Arkansas on May 26th
Arrive WDW on May 27th for 8 nights at POP. We have two rooms, hopefully connected.
May 28th Magic Kingdom
May 29th EPCOT
May 30th Hollywood Studios
May 31st Animal Kingdom
June 1st Off Day
June 2nd EPCOT
June 3rd Magic Kingdom
June 4th Check out and start home

We have 7 day passes, no park hopper, no waterparks. We haven't park hopped yet. We just prefer to stay in one spot as sometimes I get a little stressed about transportation while we are there. I have to start and end at Magic Kingdom. Because this is my parent's first real vacation we are going to take it slow. My mom is already worried about how much this is costing us....we don't care but she does. I have tried to explain to her that free dining is worth it for us but she still worries....I guess that is where I get it.

Up next....dining reservations

 

[watkinsme]

I'm reading

Tell your mom and dad Hi!

We'll be in for a visit the weekend after Easter - so clear your schedule for that week!

 

[bayleebugs_mom]

Yippeee! You are reading my report....thank goodness someone is! When are you guys going back to Disney? When exactly are you guys coming home? I saw your dad yesterday at the ballgame and he said they had a good trip out to see you guys. I suppose that you are all done Christmas shopping and decorating and all that good stuff. I don't even have a tree up, how horrible is that????

 

[watkinsme]

Yippeee! You are reading my report....thank goodness someone is! When are you guys going back to Disney? When exactly are you guys coming home? I saw your dad yesterday at the ballgame and he said they had a good trip out to see you guys. I suppose that you are all done Christmas shopping and decorating and all that good stuff. I don't even have a tree up, how horrible is that????

Our next trip is Sept 23rd - Oct 1st - we are hitting MNSSHP again - the kids really liked it this year.

We will be home April 22 - 29 it's a short trip, but it's during Andrew's spring break. then we'll be back again in july/august unless we move but who knows about that yet

 

[NWOL]

Love the blog. Thanks for sharing your Disney adventure with us!

 

[PennyLane1084]

Hello, I'm loving your PTR so far! The almost knife fight story is great.
Pop seems like a really fun resort. I've heard really great things about it, though never stayed there myself. Your schedule looks good. I always have to make Magic Kingdom the first day. It just doesn't feel like I'm truly at Disney until I see the Castle.

 

[bayleebugs_mom]

Hello, I'm loving your PTR so far! The almost knife fight story is great.
Pop seems like a really fun resort. I've heard really great things about it, though never stayed there myself. Your schedule looks good. I always have to make Magic Kingdom the first day. It just doesn't feel like I'm truly at Disney until I see the Castle.

I have someone reading!!!! I am so excited!!! Thank you for following along. I will be updating soon!

 

[bayleebugs_mom]

Love the blog. Thanks for sharing your Disney adventure with us!

Thank you for checking out my report!!! I enjoyed emailing back and forth the other day! It made my day go by so fast!!!

 

[robothamor201]

This allows you to receive challenges from other members to face them in a dual. It also gives you the opportunity to receive updates when new games are added to the arcade.

 

[ForeverDance]

I found your report today and I'm following along. I love the pictures of your DD... she is adorable.