The Griswalds aka The Marsons Do Disney - Mom, Dad a power ranger and a princess! 4/9

[The Marsons]

Hey All and Welcome

A trip to the Mouse is one of the most exciting things but for me the planning and leading up to the trip is equally as exciting! Therefore i thought i would share my HUGE EXCITEMENT with you!

Firstly, before i start, i was inspired to write this after reading so many wonderful trip reports on here especially Tim and Lesley's so a big guys!


So for the crew:-

Moi! Sarah - Age 25. A Disney Nut who has been going to the world since i was 3 in 1986. I love anything girly and be warned i am prone to blubbering a lot during our vacation especially during Spectro and Wishes Outside of Disney i love the Backstreet Boys, spending quality time with my family especially my five sisters and singing at the top of my voice in the car to High School Musical! Here is a piccie of me and the hubby! (Just kidding, i can dream!)

Chris my hubbie - Age 30. Will be his second time this trip to WDW. After actually seeing what all the fuss was about last year, he loves the place as much as me (well not that much!). His fave park is Epcot and he loves to sample the yummy food that Disney has to offer. Outside of Disney Chris loves the Guitar and Computers.

This is us at Mexico Epcot last year.

Chris and i met in a local 70's club when i was 16 and we shared our first kiss that night to Stayin Alive by the Bee Gees How romantic! A few years later we had:-

DS George Stanley (Named after my fave film Father of the Bride and Stanley is also a family name) - Age 4. George will be five during the trip and he missed a Halloween Birthday by 5 minutes! He starts school next Thursday. He loves the Power Rangers and is going to ask the Red Ranger when he sees him how he becomes a ranger! Hoping he will ride Splash and BTM with me this year. He is into anything and everything and won't sit down for more than five seconds!

When George was 21 months i had:-

Madeline or Maddie - Age 3. A proper girly girl who will not take her Snow White outfit off (the neighbours must think i never wash her!). She loves Princesses, High School Musical and all the Characters. It is at this point i must warn you that she is prone to what we call

MADDIE PADDIES!

especially during public places and on WDW Transportation

At home we have a cocker spaniel puppy called Stitch, and in hindsight we maybe should have called him something else, as he really is like Stitch and eats anything! He is gorgeous though!

Well enough of the family and onto the trip

Why the title name? I hear you say.

Well i chose the name because i love National Lampoons as it just makes me laugh and also because like the Griswolds, sometimes things go wrong for us (more on this later) but i'm hoping this trip will be different!

Well theres the first installment, so sign up everyone and i'm looking forward to sharing this with you guys

 

[The Marsons]

Don't be shy Dis'ers!

Seriously, i've had some views but no one has actually replied, am i doing anything wrong as i have never done a pre-trippie before, and i feel a bit silly writing if i'm not doing it right

Right on too the next bit!

Here in the lovely UK, our kids get half term holidays that last a week. This year it falls in the last week of October. So after we returned from our trip last June we thought it would be fab to go for Georges 5th Brithday on the 30th and do MNSSHP aswell. Sorted two weeks on the 23rd it was then

Wrong!

Decided to book this holiday DIY this year to cut costs. So booked our fave resort POR, then we came onto the flights. Flying into Orlando Airport we have Virgin and British Airways, i checked their prices and i swear i nearly had a heart attack!

we were looking at £800 or $1600 each

There was no way i could justify paying that on flights alone. Prices have infact gone up since we initially looked.

I then thought, if we don't bring these flight costs down then we can't go so i looked into the possibilty of going indirect. As you can see i have two small children so was really worried at this prospect, especially as the flight time is quite long anyway.

I checked a few places and Delta came up the cheapest, flying from London to Atlanta and then from Atlanta to Orlando.

The prices were even cheaper still going the day before we originally planned and coming back three days later!

So we have October 22nd till November 8th!

The price all together for this was £300 or $600 so a much better saving and with prices still going up i decided to bite the bullet and book it. Yikes!!

So nervous about not making our connecting flight, having the tired children, flying into Atlanta etc as i have never visited here before. Would be grateful of any tips on flying indirect and also Delta airlines, the service and food etc.


So now i needed accommodation for that first day and for the remaining last three days. I rang up POR and was able to add the last three days to our exisitng reservation

And for that first night i just wanted somewhere cheap and cheerful so we decided on some where on I Drive.

Fast forward to this week and i started researching taxi firms to take us from Orlando Airport to I Drive. I saw the prices they were charging and didn't realise it would be so much

Can you guess whats coming??????

I said to Chris, that by the time we had paid the taxi and the hotel on I Drive we would be talking about $200.

I then got on the phone to a lovely lady at Disney Reservations and told her we wanted somewhere cost effective but nice for that first night and she recommneded Pop Centruy and ofcourse we get free Magical Express with that too, so no expensive taxis!!

After that first night we will then get a taxi from Pop to POR for the remainder of our stay

We have 14 day Ultimate Tickets and are on the DDP.

Hope your still thirsty for more!

Sarah
xxxxx

 

[KarlaG4Kids]

I'm anxious for more. How many flying hours does it take from GB to Atlanta? We just returned from Hawaii and the flights are brutal (especially with delays and missed connections)...so I'm feeling a bit sorry for you right now. But hey...WDW is so WORTH IT!

 

[The Marsons]

I'm anxious for more. How many flying hours does it take from GB to Atlanta? We just returned from Hawaii and the flights are brutal (especially with delays and missed connections)...so I'm feeling a bit sorry for you right now. But hey...WDW is so WORTH IT!

Phew a reader, thanks so much!

It takes about 8 and a half hours from the UK to Atlanta we then have a 2 hour change over and then onto Orlando.

But we are 5 hours ahead of you at the moment so when we land at Orlando at 17:15 our bodies are actually at 22:15!

Really couldn't justify the extra on flights though, i mean the savings are double are holiday spending money

 

[AshleyMWC]

Looks great so far! Your kids are adorable, and I am jealous that you get over 2 weeks at the World. Although I guess coming all the way from the UK, you deserve that many days!

I am on board and following along!

 

[The Marsons]

Looks great so far! Your kids are adorable, and I am jealous that you get over 2 weeks at the World. Although I guess coming all the way from the UK, you deserve that many days!

I am on board and following along!

Thanks for the kind comments! Yes it is a bit of a distance but so worth it

 

[Jenvenza]

Oh my goodness - your children are adorable!!

I think you have a great start to your PTR! I am on board for sure!

 

[The Marsons]

Oh my goodness - your children are adorable!!

I think you have a great start to your PTR! I am on board for sure!

Thanks, glad your here

 

[The Marsons]

Time for the next update me thinks!

As i might have mentioned earlier i have been going to the world since 1986 at the ripe old age of three, and have been lucky enough to go back quite regular ever since.

As it was so expensive with the flights from over here, we used to stop on International Drive most of the time and get the shuttle buses into the parks. As we got older we eventually made the leap and stopped on Disney property and once you do that theres no going back, right??

I think going as a child is why i love WDW so much. My parents went through a very nasty divorce around 12 years ago, but those early days when we were all happy as a family going to the parks mean so much to me. When i think of Disney it just makes me think happy families, laughter etc. Sorry for being a bit cheesy there!

Last June was the first time my husband and children had been, so it was lovely to see Disney from a whole new direction and as a Mommy myself.

I will talk about last Junes trip a bit later, but want to talk now about my love for Port Orleans Riverside.

Port Orleans Riverside is my fave resort by far. I just love the scenery, the setting, the smell of the lobby etc etc.

We like to stay in the Mansions section of Magnolia Bend preferably with a River view. Nothing beats walking out of your room and seeing the boats on the river and the lovely wildlife.

My kids just love the pool too. I would like to try the Wilderness Lodge some time though, but only for half vacation so that i could go back 'home' to Port Orleans for the remainder of my stay.

I know it's only a moderate hotel, but in my opinion the facilities and loacation make it a deluxe for us!
Will just leave you with some piccies from last Junes stay to show you why we love it.

and lastly George posing for you!

 

[The Marsons]

Come on out you lurkers where ever you are!!! I only have a couple of readers

Just had to say 52 more days to go!

Even better when i wake up tomorrow morning i can say 'Next month i go to Disney!'

HORRAY!!!

 

[disneydreamin247]

Your children are ADORABLE!!! I like the way you think Easier to just add on days. I'll use any excuse to extend my stay . You're going to have a great time. I can't wait to hear more!

 

[The Marsons]

Your children are ADORABLE!!! I like the way you think Easier to just add on days. I'll use any excuse to extend my stay . You're going to have a great time. I can't wait to hear more!

Thanks, i know once i started adding i couldn't stop!!

Great to have you here

 

[The Marsons]

Hey guys,

Really busy here in the Marson household this week. George has his very first day at school on Thursday, so please think of him! Will post some piccies of him in his uniform for you.
His uniform has gone to my nans so she can sew in his name tags (i'm dreadful at sewing!)

Also nearly died when i saw how much the airport parking had gone up to today and i was kicking myself for leaving it so long. £102 thats about $200

Thankfully after some internet searching i found a Super Saver site and manged to secure the whole 19 days for £65/$130! So feel much better about that!

Can i just give a little shout out???

I GO TO SEE MICKEY NEXT MONTH!!!!!

 

[disneydreamin247]

Next month for me too! Ah, I can't believe we can say that now lol.

 

[KarlaG4Kids]

And for me....I'm going THIS MONTH. In just 2-1/2 weeks! I'm hoping the hurricanes don't have the same time frame that I do, but if they do, I will just be a little wet!

 

[The Marsons]

And for me....I'm going THIS MONTH. In just 2-1/2 weeks! I'm hoping the hurricanes don't have the same time frame that I do, but if they do, I will just be a little wet!

Don't worry about it hun, it's Disney you will still have a magical time! It will just add to the experience

 

[The Marsons]

Next month for me too! Ah, I can't believe we can say that now lol.

Whoo hoo, i'm dancing for us

 

[disneydreamin247]

And for me....I'm going THIS MONTH. In just 2-1/2 weeks! I'm hoping the hurricanes don't have the same time frame that I do, but if they do, I will just be a little wet!

I'd rather be in Disney during a hurricane than home in ANY weather!

Whoo hoo, i'm dancing for us

Isn't it too exciting? Now I'm panicking about ADRs and things I need to buy and pack. Ack!

 

[KarlaG4Kids]

Yep, except I have two little granddaughters coming with me and one of them is TERRIFIED of thunder and lightening. THAT would be a challenge. Hopefully it will all be ok. I've heard it is a great time because the crowds thin out so much which would be nice.

 

[AZMickeyfans]

Hoping on board here! We are going to Mickey's next month too! I love saying that don't you? I've been so excited for this day!

I titled my pre-trippie after my fav movie too so I totally understand! It caught my eye.

Adorable family. Cannot wait to read more!