eacatwork
Former Disgruntled Number Cruncher
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2007
- Messages
- 398
Hi! Thanks for clicking into this thread and reading my pre-trip report. In this very first posting, I will introduce you to the cast of characters and provide some background information about me, DH, and past Disney experiences.
CAST
DH (Chris) is 33 years old and has never been to WDW. In fact, up until about a year ago, he was adamant that he would never go. More on that in a bit...
I'm Beth and 30 years old. I have been to WDW three other times - twice as a child with my parents, and once as an adult with my parents and brother. Technically, my brother was with us on my second trip as a child as my mom was 5 months pregnant with him. According to my DMa (and noted in my signature), he did not care for the teacups back then. In 2001, it was a different story!
DH and I have a DDog, Oscar. He is a German Shorthaired Pointer and is 5 years old. Oscar will not be joining us on our trip to WDW, but since he is our furchild, I suspect he will get mentioned from time to time.
AP is my best friend. No, I am not best friends with an annual pass...those are her initials and what DH and I call her.
Joe is her long-time boyfriend.
TRIP BACKGROUND
About one year ago, AP and I started discussing a trip for the four of us. Chris and Joe were not too keen on going to WDW, but we simply told them they were going. (And, if they got really miserable while they were there, they could drink their way around the world in EPCOT. That seemed to please them.)
With the turn of the new year, DH and I decided we should start looking into airfare and start planning with AP and Joe. I found great flights right out of our small, hometown airport - perfect times and only $60 more than any airports that were three hours away. I sent AP and Joe the information and Joe balked. We couldn't figure out why he was balking, but we quickly found out. Joe had a Colorado hunting trip planned for the same time, but neglected to tell AP this until DH and I were ready to make our plane reservations. Needless to say, AP and Joe are not going now and Joe is on AP's ish-list!
PREVIOUS DISNEY EXPERIENCES
Obviously, these are all going to be all mine, but I'll give you some of the highlights.
August 1980 and May 1981 - I was four, so I don't remember too many specifics from each trip other than the few notables things that happened in May 1981 when my mom was pregnant with my brother. I remember riding BTM with my dad and IT BROKE DOWN! We were stuck on the track on a sweeping turn. CMs came to offload us and we were escorted through the mountain! I remember it was a big hollow shell and there were paint cans and ladders off to the side along the wall. 26 years after it happened, I remember it! My mom said they roped off the ride area and asked all the guests to leave. Well, my mom was only 5 mos PG, but my brother was a giant baby, so she looked further along. She freaked and said, "my husband and daughter are in there, I'm not leaving!" and the CMs were concerned that she would get too upset and pass out or something, so they let her stay. Of course I come bounding out yelling, "Ma...I was INSIDE THE MOUNTAIN!" Also from those trips as a child, I remember riding Dumbo with my parents, the HM and the Doom Buggies overlooking the dining room, and the Jungle Cruise.
May 2001 - we return after a 20 year absence from The World. It's my brother first time flying on a "big plane" (he'd flown in small Cessnas before) and his first extra-utero WDW experience. He liked the Teacups this time!
I rode HM with my mom and about 1/2 way through the ride, I started to cry. I was remembering the ride. I tell you...when we passed that dining room, the waterworks really started. (I should note here that I am a very emotional person...I cry at Hallmark commercials!) We had an absolute blast. This was the first time we stayed on-property and we swore we would never stay off property again. That, and we'd be back before another 20 years had past!
TRIP PREPARATIONS
Needless to say, I am hooked on The DIS. So I've been here since the beginning of the year gathering tips and suggestions, asking questions, and offering what little WDW advice I can.
As I said, we have our plane tickets. We leave at 6 AM on our departure date and will be in Orlando by 10:30 AM. On our departure day, we leave Orlando at 7:30 PM. I think I did a great job optimizing our time at WDW with our flights. I'm quite pleased.
As of Tuesday, we have reservations for a standard room at WL. We were able to secure a sweet deal there. We had a choice between AKL and WL. I left it up to Chris, as I really didn't care one way or the other, and - as I've noted - he has been a Disney skeptic so I wanted him involved.
Well! Come to find out, he's been doing some of his own WDW research online, in books, and asking a co-worker that frequents WDW. When I asked him Monday at dinner which resort he wanted, he had a laundry list of reasons why he wanted WL over AKL, including - and here's where he gets sappy and sentimental - because WL would most closely resemble our honeymoon. (We honeymooned in Banff, Alberta, Canada, which is in the Canadian Rockies...very lodgey, woodsy, rustic, etc.) I swear I swooned!
Also, as late as three weeks ago, DH was all, "You'd better make this the trip of a lifetime because this is the only time I'll go." Um, OK. Except TWO weeks ago, I joked that next time his family goes (and they go every few years) we could drive down to BWI and fly out with them for cheaper. He looked at me point blank (and I expected the "I said I was only going once!") and said, "Nah...I think next time we'll drive." Um, NEXT TIME?!? OK!!!
So Mr. This-Is-My-Only-Trip-and-I'm-Indifferent-On-Choices-We-Have-To-Make is now Mr. We're-Driving-When-We-Go-Back-And-I'm-Doing-My-Own-WDW-Research!
Fine with me!
His co-worker even said he's asking more and more questions and really seems to be "getting into it." HOORAY!!!
So far, we have picked one night's dining and that is the day of our actual anniversary and we will be dining at Le Cellier. Again, another honeymoon in Canada tie-in.
That's it for now. I know I'll have more to add in the coming days and weeks because the WDW conversations never end at our house.
Oh, and BTW, DDog has already "told" us that he wants a stuffed Pluto from WDW.
CAST
DH (Chris) is 33 years old and has never been to WDW. In fact, up until about a year ago, he was adamant that he would never go. More on that in a bit...
I'm Beth and 30 years old. I have been to WDW three other times - twice as a child with my parents, and once as an adult with my parents and brother. Technically, my brother was with us on my second trip as a child as my mom was 5 months pregnant with him. According to my DMa (and noted in my signature), he did not care for the teacups back then. In 2001, it was a different story!
DH and I have a DDog, Oscar. He is a German Shorthaired Pointer and is 5 years old. Oscar will not be joining us on our trip to WDW, but since he is our furchild, I suspect he will get mentioned from time to time.
AP is my best friend. No, I am not best friends with an annual pass...those are her initials and what DH and I call her.
Joe is her long-time boyfriend.
TRIP BACKGROUND
About one year ago, AP and I started discussing a trip for the four of us. Chris and Joe were not too keen on going to WDW, but we simply told them they were going. (And, if they got really miserable while they were there, they could drink their way around the world in EPCOT. That seemed to please them.)
With the turn of the new year, DH and I decided we should start looking into airfare and start planning with AP and Joe. I found great flights right out of our small, hometown airport - perfect times and only $60 more than any airports that were three hours away. I sent AP and Joe the information and Joe balked. We couldn't figure out why he was balking, but we quickly found out. Joe had a Colorado hunting trip planned for the same time, but neglected to tell AP this until DH and I were ready to make our plane reservations. Needless to say, AP and Joe are not going now and Joe is on AP's ish-list!
PREVIOUS DISNEY EXPERIENCES
Obviously, these are all going to be all mine, but I'll give you some of the highlights.
August 1980 and May 1981 - I was four, so I don't remember too many specifics from each trip other than the few notables things that happened in May 1981 when my mom was pregnant with my brother. I remember riding BTM with my dad and IT BROKE DOWN! We were stuck on the track on a sweeping turn. CMs came to offload us and we were escorted through the mountain! I remember it was a big hollow shell and there were paint cans and ladders off to the side along the wall. 26 years after it happened, I remember it! My mom said they roped off the ride area and asked all the guests to leave. Well, my mom was only 5 mos PG, but my brother was a giant baby, so she looked further along. She freaked and said, "my husband and daughter are in there, I'm not leaving!" and the CMs were concerned that she would get too upset and pass out or something, so they let her stay. Of course I come bounding out yelling, "Ma...I was INSIDE THE MOUNTAIN!" Also from those trips as a child, I remember riding Dumbo with my parents, the HM and the Doom Buggies overlooking the dining room, and the Jungle Cruise.
May 2001 - we return after a 20 year absence from The World. It's my brother first time flying on a "big plane" (he'd flown in small Cessnas before) and his first extra-utero WDW experience. He liked the Teacups this time!
I rode HM with my mom and about 1/2 way through the ride, I started to cry. I was remembering the ride. I tell you...when we passed that dining room, the waterworks really started. (I should note here that I am a very emotional person...I cry at Hallmark commercials!) We had an absolute blast. This was the first time we stayed on-property and we swore we would never stay off property again. That, and we'd be back before another 20 years had past!TRIP PREPARATIONS
Needless to say, I am hooked on The DIS. So I've been here since the beginning of the year gathering tips and suggestions, asking questions, and offering what little WDW advice I can.
As I said, we have our plane tickets. We leave at 6 AM on our departure date and will be in Orlando by 10:30 AM. On our departure day, we leave Orlando at 7:30 PM. I think I did a great job optimizing our time at WDW with our flights. I'm quite pleased.
As of Tuesday, we have reservations for a standard room at WL. We were able to secure a sweet deal there. We had a choice between AKL and WL. I left it up to Chris, as I really didn't care one way or the other, and - as I've noted - he has been a Disney skeptic so I wanted him involved.
Well! Come to find out, he's been doing some of his own WDW research online, in books, and asking a co-worker that frequents WDW. When I asked him Monday at dinner which resort he wanted, he had a laundry list of reasons why he wanted WL over AKL, including - and here's where he gets sappy and sentimental - because WL would most closely resemble our honeymoon. (We honeymooned in Banff, Alberta, Canada, which is in the Canadian Rockies...very lodgey, woodsy, rustic, etc.) I swear I swooned!
Also, as late as three weeks ago, DH was all, "You'd better make this the trip of a lifetime because this is the only time I'll go." Um, OK. Except TWO weeks ago, I joked that next time his family goes (and they go every few years) we could drive down to BWI and fly out with them for cheaper. He looked at me point blank (and I expected the "I said I was only going once!") and said, "Nah...I think next time we'll drive." Um, NEXT TIME?!? OK!!!
So Mr. This-Is-My-Only-Trip-and-I'm-Indifferent-On-Choices-We-Have-To-Make is now Mr. We're-Driving-When-We-Go-Back-And-I'm-Doing-My-Own-WDW-Research!
Fine with me! His co-worker even said he's asking more and more questions and really seems to be "getting into it." HOORAY!!!
So far, we have picked one night's dining and that is the day of our actual anniversary and we will be dining at Le Cellier. Again, another honeymoon in Canada tie-in.
That's it for now. I know I'll have more to add in the coming days and weeks because the WDW conversations never end at our house.
Oh, and BTW, DDog has already "told" us that he wants a stuffed Pluto from WDW.
