The Disney Grump is taking me on a DREAM vacation! TR Link, pg 30

[photographymom517]

I will be praying for your step-brother & his family!!!! I am so relieved to hear that they are alive & hopefully they do not have any injuries.

Glad to hear that they are all together during this tragic time! Family is so important during times like these!

Please keep all of us posted & know that your DIS family is here for you, Michelle!

 

[KatMark]

Michelle, many prayers being said.

 

[RachelNinja]

I'll definitely keep your stepbrother in prayer.

 

[DevonsDisneyMom]

Hi there, just found your report! Thought and prayer to you and your family!


We booked out first cruise last month! We are sailing for 5 nights on the Dream next April! We are very excited. We too are planning on goin to Disney 2 days before sailing. Still trying to decide if we will go to the parks or not though!

 

[MaryAz]

Hi Michelle

Hurray for a cruise!!! Nice job wearing him down Can;t wait to read what you have planned.

Prayers being said for your stepbrother

 

[cdotla]

Hi Michelle!

First of all, my thoughts are with you and your family! How terrifying to have a family member over there right now! Please keep us updated on your stepbrother's situation.

I am so happy to be reading your PTR! I have been waiting for it!

I absolutely can't wait to hear all about the cruise. We have yet to do one, but it is on my radar for 2013. That year I turn 40, Katie turns 10, and my parents each turn 65! A lot of milestone birthdays in the family that year, so it will be a great way to celebrate. My parents aren't big park people, but they have already signed onto the cruise. And there is no way after that Chris will be able to say no!

Just like others have said..."you are guuud girl" in getting your resister to sign up for the trip. And that pin code, and those extra days at AKL....stoke of luck and brilliance on your part, I would say!

As for the Parks though, I completely agree with you. I wouldn't even bring up the subject. Every trip I take, I never seem to have enough time to do what I want to do at the resorts. I would love to take a quick trip like yours where the agenda going in does not involve the parks, so you can simply relax and enjoy the resorts without feeling like you are missing something or not maximizing your tickets by being in the parks 24-7.

Plus, as we mentioned before, the rest of your family (yes, even Don), might end up leaving the trip thinking in the back of their mind that they actually missed something by not being in the parks and may be more inclined to return for another trip.

Also, I think you will score big-time points with Don on credibility if you stick to the plan of no-parks and show him that you really were serious about that.

I really can't wait to hear all about your trip, and look forward to counting down with you!

 

[Charleston Princess]

Prayers definitely being said for your stepbrother and his family! All the news coming out of Japan is so heartbreaking.

AKL spoiled me...I have decided I have deluxe tastes on a moderate budget. Oh well -- if it means the difference between going to Disney and not going, I happily embrace those moderate resorts.

 

[Happydog]

Hi Michelle! I hope all is well with your BIL and family in Japan. So crazy what nature can do. Does make us take pause, I think.

I am excited to hear all about your trip plans too. You are getting lots of fun in on this trip and the excitement and DisMeets will make it great fun all around!! The AK is a great place to just hang out, so many nooks and places to relax inside and out, and the deluxe resorts make an effort to put lots of activities into the mix so the good news is you can take advantage of them now.

Can't wait to hear more about your cruise plans!!

We paid our cruise off last week, get to make reservations in two weeks!!!

 

[Poolrat]

Prayers for your stepbrother and his family.

I cannot begin to imagine what it must be like over there.

 

[blessedmom4]

New to your PTR, I just saw your request for Prayers and came to read.
Prayers for your stepbrother and all of your family. This is a truly devastating time for so many, my heart goes out to you all. Now to go back and read all about you.

 

[Native NYer]

Your stepbrother and his family is in my prayers.

 

[SoonerGirl]

Will definitely be saying some prayers for your stepbrother and his family - hope they remain safe and out of harms way

Prayers for your family. That news was just awful this morning. The footage is unreal. Hope everyone in your family is ok.

I will be praying for your step-brother & his family!!!! I am so relieved to hear that they are alive & hopefully they do not have any injuries.

Glad to hear that they are all together during this tragic time! Family is so important during times like these!

Please keep all of us posted & know that your DIS family is here for you, Michelle!

Michelle, many prayers being said.

I'll definitely keep your stepbrother in prayer.

Prayers for your stepbrother and his family.

I cannot begin to imagine what it must be like over there.

Thank you all very much, your thoughts and prayers mean so much! We don't know alot more than we did yesterday morning. I talked to my stepmom last night and she said my stepbrother had posted a message on his FB page that they were all fine and safe, so that is good news. My stepmom said she had to finally just turn off the TV and stop watching the coverage because it was making her nuts. She feels so helpless being thousands of miles away and unable to do anything. She assumes that they are on the military base there (Scott is an Army veteran and his wife works on base), my dad was in the military for 25 years, he assured her that they have a safe place for them to be, I'm sure he's right.

On another note, I'm hoping to be able to put together and update today, be on the lookout for it

 

[SoonerGirl]

Jumping in on this one (and going back to read your previous reports) Can't wait to hear about your cruise on the Dream! I will make sure to include your Stepbrother and his family in my prayers .... it's all just so sad (and scary)

Hi there! Thanks for coming over! Reading your cruise report is really helping get me excited for mine!

Hi there, just found your report! Thought and prayer to you and your family!


We booked out first cruise last month! We are sailing for 5 nights on the Dream next April! We are very excited. We too are planning on goin to Disney 2 days before sailing. Still trying to decide if we will go to the parks or not though!

Glad to have you on board!

Booking your first cruise is very exciting isn't it?! Plus a little overwhelming, going from a type of trip you know a lot about into one that you know nothing about! I've been reading, reading, reading!

Hi Michelle

Hurray for a cruise!!! Nice job wearing him down Can;t wait to read what you have planned.

Prayers being said for your stepbrother

Hey Mary!! So happy you're here!

Poor Don, sometimes I do feel a little sorry for him thinking about how I worn into submission, then I think about the trip and that feeling goes away

Hi Michelle!

First of all, my thoughts are with you and your family! How terrifying to have a family member over there right now! Please keep us updated on your brother-in-law's situation.

I am so happy to be reading your PTR! I have been waiting for it!

I absolutely can't wait to hear all about the cruise. We have yet to do one, but it is on my radar for 2013. That year I turn 40, Katie turns 10, and my parents each turn 65! A lot of milestone birthdays in the family that year, so it will be a great way to celebrate. My parents aren't big park people, but they have already signed onto the cruise. And there is no way after that Chris will be able to say no!

Just like others have said..."you are guuud girl" in getting your resister to sign up for the trip. And that pin code, and those extra days at AKL....stoke of luck and brilliance on your part, I would say!

As for the Parks though, I completely agree with you. I wouldn't even bring up the subject. Every trip I take, I never seem to have enough time to do what I want to do at the resorts. I would love to take a quick trip like yours where the agenda going in does not involve the parks, so you can simply relax and enjoy the resorts without feeling like you are missing something or not maximizing your tickets by being in the parks 24-7.

Plus, as we mentioned before, the rest of your family (yes, even Don), might end up leaving the trip thinking in the back of their mind that they actually missed something by not being in the parks and may be more inclined to return for another trip.

Also, I think you will score big-time points with Don on credibility if you stick to the plan of no-parks and show him that you really were serious about that.

I really can't wait to hear all about your trip, and look forward to counting down with you!

Hi Trish!!!

I think 2013 sounds like a great year to cruise with all of the milestones you'll be celebrating! I don't think Chris will be too hard to win over, since it's mainly the theme parks he's not a huge fan of. Lots of places to kick back and relax on cruise

You are so right on the park situation, if we get there and I try and talk him into going, or tell him I'm taking the boys for the day, he would NOT be happy, and I want him to be happy on this trip, you know, for future ammunition

Prayers definitely being said for your stepbrother and his family! All the news coming out of Japan is so heartbreaking.

AKL spoiled me...I have decided I have deluxe tastes on a moderate budget. Oh well -- if it means the difference between going to Disney and not going, I happily embrace those moderate resorts.

Jackie, I am so afraid that AKL will spoil me too! I already know that I have deluxe taste on a moderate budget. Having never stayed Disney deluxe I'm content with the mods, after this trip I'm not so sure that will be the case!

Hi Michelle! I hope all is well with your BIL and family in Japan. So crazy what nature can do. Does make us take pause, I think.

I am excited to hear all about your trip plans too. You are getting lots of fun in on this trip and the excitement and DisMeets will make it great fun all around!! The AK is a great place to just hang out, so many nooks and places to relax inside and out, and the deluxe resorts make an effort to put lots of activities into the mix so the good news is you can take advantage of them now.

Can't wait to hear more about your cruise plans!!

We paid our cruise off last week, get to make reservations in two weeks!!!

I've wandered around AKL a bit when we've gone for dinner and truly fell in love with the resort, I'm so looking forward to just hanging out there!

I called my TA a couple of days ago and told her to go ahead and pay off the cruise, so I think I'm paid in full too (well until I get my credit card bill that is ) I can make ressies on the 20th

New to your PTR, I just saw your request for Prayers and came to read.
Prayers for your stepbrother and all of your family. This is a truly devastating time for so many, my heart goes out to you all. Now to go back and read all about you.

Thanks for joining in! And that you so much for your prayers, such a scary time! It seems as though we are having more and more of these devestating natural disasters

Your stepbrother and his family is in my prayers.

Thank-you!

 

[MeMom]

Thank you all very much, your thoughts and prayers mean so much! We don't know alot more than we did yesterday morning. I talked to my stepmom last night and she said my stepbrother had posted a message on his FB page that they were all fine and safe, so that is good news. My stepmom said she had to finally just turn off the TV and stop watching the coverage because it was making her nuts. She feels so helpless being thousands of miles away and unable to do anything. She assumes that they are on the military base there (Scott is an Army veteran and his wife works on base), my dad was in the military for 25 years, he assured her that they have a safe place for them to be, I'm sure he's right.

Sounds like they are in good shape. Turning off the TV is probably a good idea. Best to try not to worry about something you have no control over. All of those affected will be in the thoughts and prayers of those of us who are just seeing it all from the outside.

As for your trip, the no parks idea is going to be fine. There is plenty to do or to not do while you are there, and you are right, you don't want to push too far. A resort meal, maybe Wishes from the Poly beach, AKL itself, some DTD shopping - plenty of Disney fun w/o setting foot in (or paying for) a park.

 

[wigdoutdismom]

First off, Prayers going up for your step-brother and family.
I hope they continue to remain safe...

Now to admit that I forgot to subscribe.
That is now taken care of.

 

[2xcited2sleep]

First and foremost, you can add my good thoughts and prayers to everyone else's that your BIL and family will remain safe and sound.

On a frivolous Disney note, I'm really looking forward to hearing about your cruise experience. A cruise is something I'm seriously considering but am a bit on the fence about. Can't wait to hear what you and your family think.

And I totally agree that you'll have a fabulous time even if you don't go to the parks for the couple of days you're in Orlando. So many cool things to do. And I think you'll love AKL. Don't forget to check out the animals with the night vision goggles!!

 

[SoonerGirl]

Sounds like they are in good shape. Turning off the TV is probably a good idea. Best to try not to worry about something you have no control over. All of those affected will be in the thoughts and prayers of those of us who are just seeing it all from the outside.

You are so right, I was glad when she told me she shut off the tv, I know it was causing her extra stress.

The more reports that come out of Japan the more sad a I get, not just for my stepbrother, but for all of those effected, it's just awful.

As for your trip, the no parks idea is going to be fine. There is plenty to do or to not do while you are there, and you are right, you don't want to push too far. A resort meal, maybe Wishes from the Poly beach, AKL itself, some DTD shopping - plenty of Disney fun w/o setting foot in (or paying for) a park.

My thoughts exactly!

First off, Prayers going up for your step-brother and family.
I hope they continue to remain safe...

Now to admit that I forgot to subscribe.
That is now taken care of.

I do that too

First and foremost, you can add my good thoughts and prayers to everyone else's that your BIL and family will remain safe and sound.

On a frivolous Disney note, I'm really looking forward to hearing about your cruise experience. A cruise is something I'm seriously considering but am a bit on the fence about. Can't wait to hear what you and your family think.

And I totally agree that you'll have a fabulous time even if you don't go to the parks for the couple of days you're in Orlando. So many cool things to do. And I think you'll love AKL. Don't forget to check out the animals with the night vision goggles!!

Hi Christine!

On an equally frivolous note, I can't wait to read about the big east meets west girls trip in May! I just know you ladies are going to have so much fun!

The night vision goggles sound so cool!

 

[SoonerGirl]

Before I get started on the trip plans, I have to share a little life update. We've started baseball here and I have some bragging to do! Thursday night Justin hit a home run, 365 feet out of left center field! He is a good solid hitter, and he has a lot of power for a small framed kid (as in, he's sooo thin, almost 5'10" and he only weighs 130 lbs), but showing that kind of power is a rarity for him. He hasn't had a home run since he was 11, and that one came on a field that was on the small side, so it doesn't really count. This was seriously was one of the best hits I've seen from our age group. Our entire fan base stood up as soon as the ball left the bat, we knew it was gone, so exciting! I had to laugh at Justin though, one of the cardinal sins to any baseball coach is watching your ball after it's hit. I'm proud to say that Justin obviously did not watch the ball, he didn't even realize it went out. He was sprinting around the bases until he got to 2nd and his coach stopped him, Justin said he was confused because he thought for sure that he connected well enough for a triple, then he saw the whole team gathered at home plate and his coach told him to just slow down. It was a proud mama moment.

Ok, now onto the trip! We decided on this trip to do something I swore I would never do, and that is drive to Florida. Weighing the cost of flying vs. driving, it was just a no brainer. Plus driving would offer us the added benefit of maybe adding an extra stop or two to the trip. Since Don was gracious enough to agree to the trip I decided we needed to throw something in that he would really love. He has been an Atlanta Braves fan his entire life, not that he has any connections to Georgia, that was just the team he connected to when he was a kid. I checked their home schedule and saw that they would be at home in the days leading up to the cruise, so I immediately came to the conclusion that we would be arriving in Orlando via Atlanta.

Our actual departure day is still up the air. We will either leave the day before, or the day of, Memorial Day. Jared's baseball team is playing in a big tournament that weekend. I am already in trouble with his coach for planning a vacation during baseball season, and since he will already be gone the next weekend and will definitely miss the games on Monday, we don't want to further put the team in a bind by not being there on Sunday as well. So, if we finish with our games early enough in the day on Sunday, we will leave then, if not, we'll head out super early Monday morning. Atlanta is about a 14 hour drive from here, so I'd love to get some of that behind us on Sunday!

We will be using reward points to stay at the Embassy Suites at Centennial Olympic Park. (Photos all taken from Google Images)

I'm looking forward to exploring the park, it looks beautiful!

Our one full day in Atlanta will be a busy one. We will be within a couple of blocks of both the World of Coke and the Georgia Aquarium.

I would love to see both of these, but I'm afraid we will only have time for one. Deciding which one will be the tough part!

Later that afternoon we will head over to Turner Field and take the tour they offer of the stadium and look through the Braves museum. Don and the boys will LOVE this! The game is against the San Diego Padres and starts at 7:10.

I doubt we will stay for the whole game unless it is just really entertaining, because the next morning I want to be on the road by 6am and on our way to Orlando!

 

[disneyfan61]

Congrats to Justin on the homerun!!! Way to go

Wow that Olympic parks looks gorgeous!! Your plans look good. I bet the boys will love seeing everything there.

 

[ariel1025]

Loving your plans so far! My Husband is also a HUGE Atlanta Braves fan and he swears our son (who is all of 7 weeks old) is too I sometimes wish we could do a road trip down to Disney and make fun stops like that on the way. However, it's over 1800 miles from where we live so that will have to wait until retirement time