PNO4TE
I used to be the DIS Musician and a Jamborini...
- Joined
- Jul 14, 2001
- Messages
- 31,531
Time to plan a most interesting quick, unexpected trip. When I came home from our annual Christmas trip I figured I wouldn't be back until October 2010. But the record-breaking snows and cold weather really got to me this year and I found myself sending an email to my boss and another co-worker asking them if they wanted to run away to WDW with me. Imagine my surprise when they both responded (within 10 minutes, I might add), "YES! Count me in!! When do we leave?!?!?"
A little bit about us:
Me (Blanche)- 58 year old lover of WDW. Someday I want to live in the apartment over the gift shop at the International Gateway.
What's that you said? There isn't one there??? Oh, there will be. There will be...
I go to WDW a lot; a LOT. This trip will be 50-something times. I have lost count. Doesn't matter. One day I will be living there, remember? I travel with my husband, with our grown daughters, with friends, alone. I just love to be there. And it doesn't matter what is going on at WDW when I am there; I will find something to interest me. I like container gardening.
Nackie (Dorothy) - My 70 year old "boss." Technically she is my boss. Honestly, she is my friend. We have worked together for the past 18 years and have a lot besides our love of teaching and music in common. She has been to WDW one other time. I planned a trip for her and her husband a few years ago. She needed a knee replacement and all the walking made for a very uncomfortable vacation for them. She had the replacement done two years ago and swims an hour each morning and teaches full time. She has the stamina and the mindset of a 12 year old!
She also loves to garden.
Ann (Rose) - My 72 year old co-worker. I have known Ann since college! She went back to school to get her music degree after her children were grown. We met there and our paths crossed again when I came to work at our Yamaha Music School. She is the oldest of the three of us, but is in great shape and cannot wait to go back to WDW. The only other time she was there her children were little (one of them is now a grandmother!!) and there was only the MK. She is probably the sweetest person I have ever known.
She hates to garden; her DH does all their planting and care-taking.
We are staying at AKL CL. We each have our own room because we want to like each other on April 27th.
Why the Golden Girls? It is a nickname given to us by the parents of some of the children we teach. We have always said that we share a brain and we often carry on conversations where someone is finishing the sentences started by another. We work long, hard hours together and still enjoy each others' company. We don't do a lot of socializing with our husbands but we usually go out to lunch together 3-4 times a month. We like each other a lot.
Nackie and I have traveled together quite a bit on business and have extended our trips for leisure. Ann and Nackie have traveled together once.
Nackie is most definitely "Dorothy." That was a no-brainer for everyone. Ann and I could have been either Rose or Blanche. I find it interesting that originally Rue McClanahan was cast to play Rose and Betty White was given the part of Blanche. They decided they had already played those parts in previous gigs and wanted to try something different and the casting was switched. That would work for Ann and me too.
I have to do some serious planning for our April trip because Nackie and Ann are basically WDW newbies. I haven't had to plan like this since I planned my family reunion trip in 2007. And, instead of having a week we basically only have 2 days in the parks. It is making it difficult. One thing in our favor is that the other 2/3 of the Golden Girls are not the least bit interested in any of the thrill rides. No mountains in MK, no TT or MS in Epcot. That will help out a lot. We are also not going to try to get to DS. There just isn't enough time so I am leaving that park out.
This is what I have planned tentatively right now:
Friday, April 23 - We leave DCA at 1:30 PM and ME should have us at AKL by 5:00. For the record, this was NOT my choice of flight times and it completely eliminates the ability to go into the parks this day. So... we are going to enjoy some time in the CL lounge, enjoy the resort and eat dinner at Jiko at 8:00. If the weather cooperates we may even swim.
Saturday, April 24 - After breakfast in the lounge we will spend a couple of hours in the MK, hitting the high points. I just have to pick what those high points are!
[Philharmagic, HM, Buzz, PoTC, what else??] Then we will go to Epcot for the rest of the day/evening. I am hoping to get FPs for Soarin' when we get in but, who knows. 
I figure we can grab lunch at Sunshine Seasons or one of the other counter service spots while we see the Flower & Garden Festival things. Must do things here are Soarin', Nemo, Crush, Imagination, SSE, the World Showcase pavilions. We have a 7:15 ADR at Coral Reef and will finish up the day with Illuminations.
Sunday, April 25 - We have the Sunrise Safari booked! Nackie LOVES giraffes and this (along with the garden things at Epcot) is all she is talking about. We will do a few things at AK after breakfast and then we can go back to the room for a rest. (Have I mentioned that they are NOT morning people?!?) We have a 3:20 ADR for Afternoon Tea at the Grand, so we can do the monorail loop of the three resorts too. If they are "up" for it we can hit some things we missed at MK or Epcot. Plans for the evening include Spectro and Wishes.
UPDATE 3/27: I have had AKL IPO book the Wishes Dessert Buffet as a surprise for Nackie and Ann!!
Disney has added an additional showing of Spectro this night too, so we may have a lot more down time before heading back into the MK than I had initially planned. Still not certain about dinner.... I am thinking Mara or I am still contemplating having Don at AKL IPO make us an ADR for Boma in case we do come back for a rest and decide to go back to MK just for the parade and fireworks. Thanks for the suggestion, Laura!
Monday, April 26 - ME picks us up at 6:00 a.m.
Again, not my choice of flight times, but it is what it is... we have to be back to teach that afternoon!
We are having lunch/afternoon tea together this Tuesday Tea Tyme and What Nots to talk a little more about what each of them wants out of this trip. So far all I have had to work with is that Nackie wants to see the giraffes and Ann wants to ride Pirates and the Haunted Mansion.... I think I can handle that!
A little bit about us:
Me (Blanche)- 58 year old lover of WDW. Someday I want to live in the apartment over the gift shop at the International Gateway.
What's that you said? There isn't one there??? Oh, there will be. There will be...
I go to WDW a lot; a LOT. This trip will be 50-something times. I have lost count. Doesn't matter. One day I will be living there, remember? I travel with my husband, with our grown daughters, with friends, alone. I just love to be there. And it doesn't matter what is going on at WDW when I am there; I will find something to interest me. I like container gardening.
Nackie (Dorothy) - My 70 year old "boss." Technically she is my boss. Honestly, she is my friend. We have worked together for the past 18 years and have a lot besides our love of teaching and music in common. She has been to WDW one other time. I planned a trip for her and her husband a few years ago. She needed a knee replacement and all the walking made for a very uncomfortable vacation for them. She had the replacement done two years ago and swims an hour each morning and teaches full time. She has the stamina and the mindset of a 12 year old!
She also loves to garden.Ann (Rose) - My 72 year old co-worker. I have known Ann since college! She went back to school to get her music degree after her children were grown. We met there and our paths crossed again when I came to work at our Yamaha Music School. She is the oldest of the three of us, but is in great shape and cannot wait to go back to WDW. The only other time she was there her children were little (one of them is now a grandmother!!) and there was only the MK. She is probably the sweetest person I have ever known.
She hates to garden; her DH does all their planting and care-taking.We are staying at AKL CL. We each have our own room because we want to like each other on April 27th.
Why the Golden Girls? It is a nickname given to us by the parents of some of the children we teach. We have always said that we share a brain and we often carry on conversations where someone is finishing the sentences started by another. We work long, hard hours together and still enjoy each others' company. We don't do a lot of socializing with our husbands but we usually go out to lunch together 3-4 times a month. We like each other a lot.
Nackie and I have traveled together quite a bit on business and have extended our trips for leisure. Ann and Nackie have traveled together once.
Nackie is most definitely "Dorothy." That was a no-brainer for everyone. Ann and I could have been either Rose or Blanche. I find it interesting that originally Rue McClanahan was cast to play Rose and Betty White was given the part of Blanche. They decided they had already played those parts in previous gigs and wanted to try something different and the casting was switched. That would work for Ann and me too.
I have to do some serious planning for our April trip because Nackie and Ann are basically WDW newbies. I haven't had to plan like this since I planned my family reunion trip in 2007. And, instead of having a week we basically only have 2 days in the parks. It is making it difficult. One thing in our favor is that the other 2/3 of the Golden Girls are not the least bit interested in any of the thrill rides. No mountains in MK, no TT or MS in Epcot. That will help out a lot. We are also not going to try to get to DS. There just isn't enough time so I am leaving that park out.
This is what I have planned tentatively right now:
Friday, April 23 - We leave DCA at 1:30 PM and ME should have us at AKL by 5:00. For the record, this was NOT my choice of flight times and it completely eliminates the ability to go into the parks this day. So... we are going to enjoy some time in the CL lounge, enjoy the resort and eat dinner at Jiko at 8:00. If the weather cooperates we may even swim.
Saturday, April 24 - After breakfast in the lounge we will spend a couple of hours in the MK, hitting the high points. I just have to pick what those high points are!
[Philharmagic, HM, Buzz, PoTC, what else??] Then we will go to Epcot for the rest of the day/evening. I am hoping to get FPs for Soarin' when we get in but, who knows. I figure we can grab lunch at Sunshine Seasons or one of the other counter service spots while we see the Flower & Garden Festival things. Must do things here are Soarin', Nemo, Crush, Imagination, SSE, the World Showcase pavilions. We have a 7:15 ADR at Coral Reef and will finish up the day with Illuminations.Sunday, April 25 - We have the Sunrise Safari booked! Nackie LOVES giraffes and this (along with the garden things at Epcot) is all she is talking about. We will do a few things at AK after breakfast and then we can go back to the room for a rest. (Have I mentioned that they are NOT morning people?!?) We have a 3:20 ADR for Afternoon Tea at the Grand, so we can do the monorail loop of the three resorts too. If they are "up" for it we can hit some things we missed at MK or Epcot. Plans for the evening include Spectro and Wishes.
UPDATE 3/27: I have had AKL IPO book the Wishes Dessert Buffet as a surprise for Nackie and Ann!!
Disney has added an additional showing of Spectro this night too, so we may have a lot more down time before heading back into the MK than I had initially planned. Still not certain about dinner.... I am thinking Mara or I am still contemplating having Don at AKL IPO make us an ADR for Boma in case we do come back for a rest and decide to go back to MK just for the parade and fireworks. Thanks for the suggestion, Laura! Monday, April 26 - ME picks us up at 6:00 a.m.
Again, not my choice of flight times, but it is what it is... we have to be back to teach that afternoon!We are having lunch/afternoon tea together this Tuesday Tea Tyme and What Nots to talk a little more about what each of them wants out of this trip. So far all I have had to work with is that Nackie wants to see the giraffes and Ann wants to ride Pirates and the Haunted Mansion.... I think I can handle that!
I love it!! I'll definitely be following along! 
Seriously, you trip sounds like such fun. You will LOVE AKL concierge. Have you talked to Don yet? (went back and actually read your post carefully and yes, you have talked to Don) 
He really is so wonderful!
Thanks for reading a long, Kim!
