The Unstoppable Force Meets the Immovable Object: A Trip Report - UPDATED 7/25/11

Tinkerbellarella

DIS Veteran
Joined
Feb 13, 2008
Messages
3,520
Meet the unstoppable force:

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Cute, huh?

What makes this larger-than-life rodent an unstoppable force? This IS the DIS. I don’t think I really have to explain it in any great detail, except to say – how many of your hard-earned dollars are now in the Mouse’s wallet, hmmm?

No judgment. The Mouse has enough of my money to put himself, Minnie and Pluto through Harvard Med School. Twice.

And now meet the immovable object, my BF:

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(The peace sign, I KNOW. Don't ask. He's just so "gangsta". LOL!)

Ok, I SWEAR he’s cuter. His face isn’t quite so...RED. ;) Those of you who know me in “real” life know that. I just don’t know that he wants his face splashed all over the DIS.

What makes him the immovable object? Well, I’ve known and been with BF, for all intents and purposes, for 13 years. In all our years of friendship, and in 9+ years of our relationship, he’s NEVER. GONE. TO. DISNEY. WITH. ME.

Let me break that down for you.

Since 1997-ish, when BF and I first got close, I’ve been on TEN Disney trips. Some with friends, some solo, some with family. He came on none of those.
Zip.
Zero.
Zilch.
Nada.
One less than one.

He’s never, as you can see by the countless trips I’ve taken, stopped me from taking trips and indulging in my Happy Place. But whenever I asked him to come along, “Eh, I’m just not into it.”

:mad:

Disney-loving men are a rare breed, though I’m happy to say I see more and more of them every day. I was really, REALLY sad, that as a Disney-loving woman, I hadn’t attracted one in kind of the opposite sex. But that doesn’t mean I wasn’t determined.

Lemme e’splain.
No, that will take too long.
Lemme sum up.

Disney was “given” to me by my grandparents. I lost my grandmother at a young age and some of my strongest memories of her live at Disney. I travel there solo (by choice) a lot and when I travel with friends to Disney, it’s usually with those with whom I want to share that special kind of magic. Naturally, I wanted to share that with the man I love.

He, however, also has family memories of Disney, and the last time he went was with a family member who was like a younger sister to him that he ultimately lost at the VERY young age of 22. I think he felt like Disney was tainted for him. So I didn’t push.

Instead, I nudged.

First, with lots of Disney trivia (trivia's a total "in" in our house - we watch Jeopardy and compete with each other).

Then, with a dinner at California Grill during a trip to that OTHER place in Orlando.

I’m not silly, I knew my way to Disney was through my man’s stomach. ::yes::

That planted seed grew. I nurtured it and it flourished into a weeklong trip for September 2010, complete with Hopper passes and Deluxe Dining. And he was excited! (Ok, maybe not as much as I was but the man was happy to come along and I wasn’t squawking at that.)

The trip was….

::drumroll, please::

A solo one.

Yup, BF didn’t go. But for very good reason. He was hired as a :firefight for a nearby city and one of his last exams before starting the academy was scheduled smack dab in the middle of our vacation and couldn’t be changed. For a million reasons I won’t get into, the trip couldn’t be moved and BF encouraged me to go on my own, saying I really needed the time off and that we’d just book another trip in the spring. I had a sneaking suspicion he was doing the Running Man every time I turned my back, thinking he’d dodged another Disney bullet.

But, in the vein of the dream that you wish coming true…

The trip WAS rebooked: 2/25/11-3/5/11

While it wasn’t the same trip as September had been meant to be (minus Deluxe Dining and the Halloween Party, and with the addition of a 5K and a DVC point rental), it was a trip. THE trip.

OUR FIRST TRIP TOGETHER.

So, what happened, says you.

Is BF now a DVC-covetin', Mickey Mouse lovin’ convert?

Did he return from the trip, vowing never ever to return, for fear of committing a crime of rodent strangulation?

Is he actually STILL at the Boma breakfast buffet, wolfing down carved meats and chocolate croissants like it’s his job?

You'll just have to read along to find out, says I.

:flower3:
 
I, for one, am very excited to hear all about how this went down. Glad to be aboard!!
 
I, for one, am very excited to hear all about how this went down. Glad to be aboard!!

HELLO! my friend!!! How are you? I'm so glad to "see" you here. I hope all is well.

I'm still stretching my DIS legs back out but I do want to stretch them over to your TR.
 

I am here and so excited to read about it. When we go next as a family we are renting points too. We are trying to decide between Animal Kingdom and Beach Club. Oh the choices of course it may change a lot between now and then too.:rotfl:
 
I am here and so excited to read about it. When we go next as a family we are renting points too. We are trying to decide between Animal Kingdom and Beach Club. Oh the choices of course it may change a lot between now and then too.:rotfl:

Hi there, honeypie! Love that avatar. :thumbsup2

I loved renting points. It was a totally painless process. As I'll get into in the next post or so, we rented for a Value Studio at AKV in Jambo House, so you'll get a taste of it here! Beach Club, however, is totally one of my "dream stays". We did walk by there on our last day and BF said he'd stay there. Of course, that was AFTER I'd walked us by Stormalong Bay and Beaches & Cream.

I'm no fool. ;)
 
Hi there, honeypie! Love that avatar. :thumbsup2

I am so excited for Mother's Day my dh and dd got me the OPI set of Pirates polish and tickets for the midnight showing 3D and IMAX. :banana::banana::banana:

I loved renting points. It was a totally painless process. As I'll get into in the next post or so, we rented for a Value Studio at AKV in Jambo House, so you'll get a taste of it here! Beach Club, however, is totally one of my "dream stays". We did walk by there on our last day and BF said he'd stay there. Of course, that was AFTER I'd walked us by Stormalong Bay and Beaches & Cream.

I'm no fool. ;)

Ha ha ha Stormalong Bay is one of the reasons we want to stay there. The other reason is so we can walk to World Showcase. We spent one day there on our trip and it was one of dh's favorite days.

We want to stay at Animal Kingdom because Lexi loves, loves, loves animals. She has always said she wants to be a zoo keeper but since our trip she has said she wants to be a zoo keeper at Animal Kingdom.
 
HELLO! my friend!!! How are you? I'm so glad to "see" you here. I hope all is well.

I'm still stretching my DIS legs back out but I do want to stretch them over to your TR.

All is well in my world. Since we last "ran into each other" here, I have moved to Salem, Oregon, my hubby found a job, and I've had 3 more children.





Ok, that last one I made up for shock value.

There are no Disney trips planned, but I have some ideas that may work. I started running again, and that may turn into my golden ticket for a trip back. We'll see...

I'm still writing my TR, and am just finishing up DAY 3. Geez, only 10 more to go. It'll likely go on for years- and as shocking as that is, I didn't make that one up. Come on over when you have time- of course, we'd love your company. ;)
 
Some of you have read a Tinkerbellarella PTR/TR before.

Some of you know me in "real" life.

Some of you are sittin' there thinking, "WHO is this Tinkerbellarella chick and WHAT have I gotten myself into? WHERE did I leave that Unsubscribe button?"

Well..

This is me:
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Dileriously happy checking into CBR with my homegirl Kat.

This is me:
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With my girl, Tink. That fairy asks some TOUGH questions.

This is not me. This is an intro to DISers Gone Wild:
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Can you hear it? It's calling me home...

This is me:
stitch.jpg

I had something on my mind.

This is me at work:
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A little inside joke for some of you. ;)

And this is not me, but this IS funny:
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I'm Tinkerbellarella but you may call me Tinkerbellarella...or Tink, or Nik. I prefer you don't call me stinky. That's just not nice.

My Disney obsession started at the ripe old age of 7 and there was simply no looking back. 25 years later (UGH. I WON'T grow up) and my House of the Mouse love is stronger than ever.

I live in Southeastern, MA, home of the four seasons:
Winter
Ha! You thought it was spring? Well there's some April snow for you.
The Boiler Room from Nightmare on Elm Street
That season right before Winter when you start buying salt

I'm 32, work in a law firm in downtown Boston (only a mere 90 minute commute from home...each way), have no furless children, a boyfriend I adore when he's not being so darn BOY about everything, 3 a-flippin'-mazing godchildren, 2 cats that are my darling daughters...and a partridge in a pear tree.

I love to read, write, but arithmatic can get lost. I may be slightly obsessed with shoes and COACH, but you can't prove it (much). I'm a girly-girl, most bugs launch me into full-blown panic mode, I couldn't manipulate an XBox controller if my life depended on it and a day in the spa is a day well spent.

And who's the man who is lucky* enough to call me his own?

This guy:
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My handsome hero hard at work.

BF is 37 and we've been told we've spent many a life together in some capacity. We live together and he is kind enough to put up with my obsessive neatness and loves my cats as much as I love them...except when they throw up in his flip flops. True story.

BF is all BOY. He loves football, loves red meat, loves video games, loves his Croc flip flops. Ok, maybe that last part is questionable. BF is fierce and brave and selfless. He's funny and is sometimes a crankpot. The only thing he may want to spend more time with than me is bacon. He's been there to hold me up when all I wanted to do is crumble and I know more about love because of him.

BF and I travel well together and so we had little fear about spending 8 nights away from home, non-stop, in each other's face. With one bathroom (but thankfully two sinks).

Only...

We weren't spending 8 nights together. Though our trip did run 2/25/11-3/5/11, due to his work schedule, BF was only to join me for 2/27/11-3/5/11. But I wasn't alone those first two nights, oh no. I was joined by my very good DIS friend LegoMom (LM).

(I don't know how she feels about putting her pic on the boards, so I will refrain, though that is a pity. She is one hot mama!)

LM is the kind of friend EVERYONE should have in their life. She's the most amazing balance of love and fun and peace and mischief wrapped up in a sweet candy coating. Unfortunately, LM lives many, many a mile from yours truly, so she and I would be meeting up at the airport.

And so you've met the whole crew for this trip.

But where did we rest our weary heads?

Thanks to an absoutely lovely DISer, we rented us up some DVC points and spent our week in a Studio Villa here:

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Photo courtesy of All Ears.

Our studio was in Jambo House, not Kidani. Prior to arrival I'd faxed over a couple of room requests. More later on how all of that shook out.

We also had the regular Dining Plan and nomtastic ADRs coming out the wazoo. I love eating at Disney.

I love eating at Disney.

I love eating at Disney.

I'm sorry, did I already say that?
In case you missed it:

I love eating at Disney.

And while our itinerary was chock full of Yeti-chasing, elevator-dropping, hang glider-soaring, grim grinning fun all week, there was this teensy, tiny, very important thing happening at the very beginning of the trip.

3.1 miles of something, to be exact.

LM and I were participating in the Royal Family 5K as part of the Princess 1/2 Marathon weekend. And we were running (or doing a rather unattractive and sweaty run-walk-stumble to the finish line, depending on which one of us you followed) to honor the mother of another amazing DISer and one of my bestest friends in the whole world (and the World): TarzansKat, or TK, or Kat, or as BF and I affectionately call her KittyKat.

And so, the night before this trip, as I lay my head on the pillow, knowing I needed about 8 hours of sleep but would only get about 4 thanks to an overactive imagination, I thought to myself:

"Self, this trip is going to be EPIC."

Then BF reminded me that I was talking out loud and not in my head and could I kindly roll over and go to sleep.

UP NEXT: The part where this trip report actually GOES somewhere...

*Lucky, apparently, is subjective, per BF, depending on what side of the bed I've woken up on.
 
looking forward to reading them. The first post was a great start.

Thanks and welcome!!!

I am so excited for Mother's Day my dh and dd got me the OPI set of Pirates polish and tickets for the midnight showing 3D and IMAX. :banana::banana::banana:

My nail tech carries OPI but I don't think she's getting this collection.

What a GREAT Momma's Day gift! A date with Jack Sparrow. ;)

Ha ha ha Stormalong Bay is one of the reasons we want to stay there. The other reason is so we can walk to World Showcase.

If the financial gods shine upon us, the BC may make an appearance in my Feb./Mar. 2012 Super Secret Trip for Three. But much is yet to be determined. If not, I'm going to plan on going there as part of a solo trip.

We want to stay at Animal Kingdom because Lexi loves, loves, loves animals. She has always said she wants to be a zoo keeper but since our trip she has said she wants to be a zoo keeper at Animal Kingdom.

Oh my. Oh my, oh my, oh my. Wait'll you see some of the pics we got. FROM. OUR. WINDOW.

;)

All is well in my world. Since we last "ran into each other" here, I have moved to Salem, Oregon, my hubby found a job, and I've had 3 more children.

:faint:

SHUT UP.

Ok, that last one I made up for shock value.

Mhmmm...you got me.

There are no Disney trips planned, but I have some ideas that may work. I started running again, and that may turn into my golden ticket for a trip back. We'll see...

Really, now? I'll be doing the 5K during this year's Wine and Dine. No Princess 1/2 next year, but maybe the Wine and Dine Half next year or the Princess 1/2 in 2013. Keep me posted. :thumbsup2

Come on over when you have time- of course, we'd love your company. ;)

Roger, roger.

Love the into :) and can't wait to find out HOW (not if) your bf got hooked ;)

Ha! So convinced he's a Disney convert, are you? Perhaps I should throw a wrench in your thinking...he's not coming on either of the next two trips I have plans...by choice or no? Mwahahahaha!

Ok.

I'm a terrible evil villain. Moving on...

Welcome. Glad you're here to read along. And you'll just have to see what this trip made of BF...
 
I'm here-and you already have me laughing!!!! I'm so looking forward to hearing how the Unstoppable Force did with the Immovable Object! :hyper: Love that title!
 
I'm so in!! I can't wait to read all about this trip!!!

I need some tips on how to convince the man in your life to go back to Disney LOL I live with the same ehhh not my thing!!! So I'm hoping to be inspired LOL!!!!!! (See I'm not asking much LOL)

Great start!!!!!!
 
I'm in!!! Great start!! Can't wait to read more!

We're headed to The World in 11 sleeps!!

:stitch2:
 












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