The Prodigal Daughter Returns - a former CP returns to WDW

[resol37]

Finally, only a week away from WDW! Can we all have a little Happy Dance moment over here on the TR boards, please?!

Now that that’s taken care of… Hi! While I’ve been to WDW plenty of times, this is my first TR so be gentle, you’ve got a virgin on your hands. I’d love to live up to some of the legends of this forum, so feel free to give me a “You ain’t as funny as ya think ya are” as long as there are some helpful hints behind the snark.

Next May, 13 of my extended family members and I will be taking a six night, five day trip to WDW. Some of these family members have never been to WDW, some have only been to MK. Heck, one of them hasn't even been born yet (only 17 days left until my cousin's scheduled C-section! Connor is almost here!). So this trip is, at least for me, an appetizer to hold me over until the big trip in May.

As mentioned, we leave in a week ( ). Cast of characters is as follows:

DD – This would be my dad, Doug. DD is 48 and a computer nerd. While he enjoys WDW, he’s been tons of times and the magic has worn off just a bit for the poor guy. He will be watching golf most of our trip. More on this later.

DM – My mom, Jean. DM is 50 and doesn’t touch anything resembling a thrill ride. She loves stuff like Living with the Land, Spaceship Earth and It’s a Small World. I got her addicted to Carousel of Progress. She’s not as big an enthusiast as I, but she’s the best I’ve got outside of the Dis.

DGA – That acronym would translate to Darling/Disney Great Aunt – my mom’s mom’s sister. Reeda (named after her father Reed, but pronounced like Rita) is in her mid 70s, but don’t let that fool you into thinking she’ll be dragging behind. DGA was an ER nurse in both NYC and Washington, DC and now works as a security guard in an art museum. She’ll be speed-walking circles around the rest of us.

Me! – I’m 23. I live at home with my parents (I also have a 20 year old brother who lives in Greensboro, NC, but he will not be on this trip…so sad for him). I tend to make the distinction that I do not still live at home, I moved back in after a period of time living in an apartment. I did the College Program internship and worked at the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Playground and the Disney-MGM Studios Backlot Tour, but my favorite attraction is the Tower of Terror. Last March was my first trip back since 2004, but I wasn't a Diser then, so no TR for that trip.

We’ll be staying at the Shades of Green resort. Which, I guess, is the whole reason we’re going in the first place.

My dad is retired Air Force and we’ve always stayed at Shades of Green. It all started with the low prices and big rooms. Value resorts on property can be cheaper sometimes, but SoG has some of the largest rooms on property. After having stayed there four times (my parents have stayed at least two additional times), it’s home to us. I’d love to stay at a Disney resort (especially Poly, WL, or AKL), but it’s not in the cards financially.

Every year in October, the FUNAI golf classic is held at one of the golf courses that surrounds SoG. There are two, the Magnolia and the Palm, I just can’t remember which it is. My dad, being a huge golf fan (that would be someone who loves golf, not a large person who likes golf) decided that this is a good enough reason as any to head down to Florida. We’ll be there during the week before the tournament – fewer crowds and you can still watch the practice rounds. When my parents asked if I wanted to come along, I don’t think they had finished their sentence before I had said yes. Is that a joke? Of course I want to go, if it weren’t for the fact that I hate the heat (and a few other small details), I’d live in Walt Disney World! DGA just generally loves to travel and was invited along.

So, the plans are to leave somewhere between 7:15 and 7:30 am on Sunday, Oct. 15. I work nights and get off at 6:30 am so the above is about when I’ll be arriving back at the house. We live in very, very southern North Carolina and have always driven. Takes about nine hours. I will spend the car trip trying to get exactly four hours of sleep – no more no less. I’ll want to be able to enjoy the hotel, dinner and DTD our first night there but still be able to get enough sleep for the first day in the parks. DGA will be flying in from Maryland (I believe she’s flying out of Dulles, not sure though). Her flight will be arriving around 11 pm – DM and I will drive to the airport to pick her up.

Originally the plan was to do Epcot first day and then spend the other two days at SeaWorld and the Kennedy Space Center. DD wanted to do Soarin’ so Epcot was a definite. He and DM had been to both Universal and SeaWorld on their last trip. While they weren’t fans of Universal (DD says the employees there have no sense of humor), they both enjoyed SeaWorld and none of us have ever been to the Kennedy Space Center.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m sure KSC is a great time. Very educational, but fun at the same time. And I probably would have had a great time there. But! I can’t imagine ever going to WDW and not visiting my favorite park – Disney-MGM Studios. I love that place like there’s no tomorrow. With only one day at a WDW park so far, Park Hoppers were out of the question in terms of both time and price. After many long, and probably whiny, conversations with DM, she was convinced to drop KSC for Studios. Trust me, I tried to sway SeaWorld day over to Magic Kingdom day, but to no avail.

Monday, Oct. 16 will be all four of us at Epcot. I’ve already got my Food and Wine Festival menus printed out and highlighted.

Tuesday will be me, DM and DGA at SeaWorld. DD will be watching golf.

Wednesday will be me, DM and DGA at Disney-MGM Studios. DD will be watching golf.

We don’t have any ADRs. We usually go during off season times and don’t eat at TS restaurants very often anyway. I don’t think we’ve ever made a PS or ADR. We will attempt to eat lunch at the Hollywood Brown Derby on Wednesday.

I’ve got my comfy shoes – I’ll be taking a pair of Old Navy flip flops (my favorite shoes ever), some knockoff Crocs called NothingZ (I swear, I bought them before I had ever heard of Crocs!), and some sneakers. I hate sneakers (I live in flip flops year round) and searched high and low for a good pair that would fit me. I have very wide feet. If they weren’t so wide, they’d be about a size 7 but I usually end up buying a bigger size to compensate for the wideness. Anyway…where do I finally find the perfect fitting pair of sneakers? Wal-Mart. My dad noticed them, they were $12. I’ve been wearing them to the gym every day for the past couple of weeks and walking two miles in them and not a single blister!

I’ve got clothes decided upon, but they haven’t been packed yet.

I’ve got glow bracelets ($1 for 15 at Michaels, by the way) to give away as Pixie Dust.

I’ve got LGMHPCs…I am ready!

 

[White as Snow]

Loving your pre-TR. We'll be there at the same time, but we leave the 17th and Monday is a down day for us until MNSSHP that night. Oh well, maybe we'll see each other on a bus or something.

 

[resol37]

Heck, one of them hasn't even been born yet (only 17 days left until my cousin's scheduled C-section! Connor is almost here!).

So, this is what I posted at 5:12 am Sunday morning. Technically, the first part was still correct.

My cousin Jeannette's water broke around 4:30 am yesterday. Connor William was delivered by C-section sometime between 11 am and noon (the rest of the family knows the exact time, I just can't remember). He is eight and a half pounds and has blonde hair. Mother and son are doing fine. I assume older sister is doing fine as well (she'd be the one in pic in my signature). We really don't care if father is well, but that's a whole 'nother story (let's just say, they're still married, but faithfulness isn't one of his strong suits).

Knowing my aunt, I should be posting pictures of the little one within the next few days. She's a big scrapbooker and is pretty quick to e-mail pictures out.

 

[resol37]

Only four days left! I've laminated my LGMHPCs. Well, kinda. I used contact paper from Office Depot. It's not marketed as contact paper, is a clear book cover apparently. The contact paper doesn't seem to like sticking to itself, so I added some tape to the inside of the two LGMHPCs (I'm bookending them so now matter how they hang, you can see the lime). I hope they hold.

I'm getting all excited by watching my Vacation Planning DVD. Nahtazu!

My mom and I will be wearing this t-shirt on Monday, our Epcot day.

How cool is that? Ordered them off of www.cafepress.com

On the baby front - if anyone is interested - no pictures here yet. My (other) cousin took a pic of the little one with his phone and sent it to my brother, but no visual confirmation that the kid actually exists has reached my house. Everybody involved is still doing fine. Mom and son will be going home sometime today.

 

[resol37]

So my bank irked me a little. I started a savings acct over the summer to start saving money for this trip and next May's trip. I had $30 taken out of each paycheck and put into the savings acct and I haven't touched it once.

My plan was to go to said bank on Tuesday and transfer all of the money from savings acct to checking acct. When I tell this to the...well, teller, she says that their regualr savings accts (which this is) have to have a minimum balance of $350 at all times. News to me! I have more than that, but not double that so it would put a serious dent into my WDW money. Not to mention that this had not been conveyed to me when I set the acct up with only $100.

I was told that if the balance goes under the min balance of $350 that I'll be charged $4. Now, I failed to ask if that is a one time charge or if it's charged each week that the balance remains below $350. I should have asked, but I had been up since 5 am that morning and wasn't in the greatest of moods. If it's an every week thing, were they charging me that every week when I first set the acct up until I hit $350?

If it's only a one time thing, I'll gladly forfeit $4 for the rest of my money (which, another thing, if it's my money why does the bank get to say how much of it I'm allowed to have? I know it's a bank and they have to make money somehow, but $350 that was all mine to begin with?). If not, I'm seriously considering taking all of the money out and closing the savings acct.

Grr.

 

[OhMari]

I don't think anyone can afford banks anymore, do you have Credit Unions by you?

Let me know how your TR went and I can move you to the TR Boards when you are ready.

 

[resol37]

I don't think anyone can afford banks anymore, do you have Credit Unions by you?

I don't know of any near me, but I can definately look into it.

While not on the topic of WDW, I mentioned earlier that my cousin had a baby boy this past Sunday. Our big family trip to WDW next May has been in the plans since May 2004 so when my cousin called in Feb, she let me know that she was pregnant by telling me that we'd have another traveller with us on the trip.

Finally got a pic of Connor. There are others, but I liked this one because it looks like he's about to karate chop the camera.

 

[resol37]

It's 4:18 am. We will be on the road in roughly three hours.

 

[HappyHappy]

Okay, just spent an hour on cafepress site and can't find this shirt design. Did you design it? Love it! Where can I find it please!!!

 

[resol37]

Sorry, should've been more specific. This link is for the regular t-shirt, but you can play around with it to put it on a woman's t-shirt, tank top, etc.

 

[TNCarole]

Have a safe trip! We're heading down on Saturday, and I can't wait!!

I'm looking forward to reading your TR.

Btw, Connor is a cutie!

 

[HappyHappy]

Thanks so much resol37!!

 

[resol37]

I've gone and returned. My in progress trip report is here.