melsmom12
Look, Mommy, it's Cinderbrella!
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2005
- Messages
- 429
Hi, everyone! Whew, I feel like I'm jumping off a cliff. I certainly hope I do this right and don't bore you all. I'm just starting to plan this trip and I'm getting sooooo excited! I've been spending an unnatural amount of time here after everyone here was so helpful in the planning of our Disney Cruise a few years ago. So it was only natural to head this way again to get the best tips, ideas, and just to get excited!
This will be a quick trip, and here is the (v. small) cast of characters:
Me - I'm Allie, 35 years old (is that possible? Feels like I'm still 12!). I live in the suburbs of Washington DC and have a wonderful husband and 2 year old daughter. As wonderful as they are, I do not feel one ounce of guilt leaving them behind for this trip! Well, maybe a little bit!
I have been Disney-obsessed pretty much all of my life and was lucky enough to spend many family trips in WDW. I went to college at the University of Florida which enabled me to take MANY trips down to Orlando. I even auditioned to dance for The Mouse after college but didn't make it and was too thin-skinned to try again. I wish I had gone back!
Laura - my best friend from college and beyond. 35, currently lives in Ft. Myers, FL. Even though we haven't lived in the same state since college, we've always kept in touch and have been through everything together. She's more like a sister and we work hard at seeing each other as much as possible. Laura and I are perfect Disney companions because we both like the same things and can skip over the same rides. Plus we've both gone there together so many times it's pretty much like clockwork. When my DH and I went to WDW for our honeymoon, I had to really work hard at my patience with him when he wanted to go to the Hall of Presidents and the Tiki Room! Definitely things Laura and I skip over, it's just a preference thing, you know?
OK, so a few weeks ago I was visiting my dad in Naples, FL, and Laura drove down to spend a few hours with me while my dad and DH were playing golf. She had to get home and we decided that a few hours together just wasn't enough, and I needed to get back down, soon for some more quality time together. And what better place to meet than Disney!
(Sidenote: It just occurred to me that I don't have any good pictures to share with you right now, I'll get some on photobucket REALLY soon and update this!)
Because this is going to be a Laura-and-Allie trip, poor DH and DD have to stay home. So my daughter will stay with my mom while DH works and then DH will pick her up for the weekend. I think I'm going to fly down on Thursday and come home Sunday. I will miss my daughter and husband, but it will be nice to spend time with Laura on my own, too! I need to feel wild and unattached every so often, it's good for moms!
A friend of mine who I work with has timeshare points that she's going to lose if she doesn't use them so she offered them to me for this trip. They're going to try to get us into the Wyndham Bonnet Creek for 3 nights, Thursday through Saturday. It would be SO great if we could basically stay on property, even if it isn't a real Disney Resort. And for next to nothing, they won't accept cash from us, so we're going to buy them a very nice gift card to a local restaurant and buy them some nice mementos from WDW. If Bonnet Creek doesn't work out, then we'll have to stay further away, either Star Island or Cypress Palms (?). Any of these would be great for the price we're paying, but I'm crossing my fingers for Bonnet Creek!
OK, I'm going to wrap this up for now, but I need everyone's opinion on something. What would you do?
The original plan was that Laura will work on Thursday, pick me up on Thursday night at the airport, and we'll have Friday and Saturday in the parks and I'll go home on Sunday afternoon. (Sidenote: I should mention here that I work part time - Monday-Wednesday - so I have all day Thursday off. You'll see where I'm going with this.) Laura will take off work Friday to spend with me, but she can't take off Thursday. So, what do you think, should I try to get down as early as I can on Thursday morning and spend the day on my own either in the parks or at DTD? Then Laura can just meet me at the resort. OR, should I just wait for her until Thursday evening and not do a day on my own? I've never been to WDW by myself and I'm not sure if I'm going to like it. Plus, an extra day there means extra money. But worth it? Hmmmm, let me know what you think about this.
Pictures and updates to come. I'm supposed to find out tomorrow if my friend can get us into Bonnet Creek, or if we'll have to stay further away. And then I have to figure out my flights.
I'm getting sooooooo excited! Thanks for reading and for your feedback!
OK - a few pics for reference:
My DH and me on our honeymoon:
My DD in her first Halloween costume:
My daughter's constant companion, we don't go anywhere - ever - without it!
My DD thought she had hit the jackpot when she saw these two. She wanted to know why they couldn't come home with us on the airplane!
That's all I have for now!
This will be a quick trip, and here is the (v. small) cast of characters:
Me - I'm Allie, 35 years old (is that possible? Feels like I'm still 12!). I live in the suburbs of Washington DC and have a wonderful husband and 2 year old daughter. As wonderful as they are, I do not feel one ounce of guilt leaving them behind for this trip! Well, maybe a little bit!
I have been Disney-obsessed pretty much all of my life and was lucky enough to spend many family trips in WDW. I went to college at the University of Florida which enabled me to take MANY trips down to Orlando. I even auditioned to dance for The Mouse after college but didn't make it and was too thin-skinned to try again. I wish I had gone back!Laura - my best friend from college and beyond. 35, currently lives in Ft. Myers, FL. Even though we haven't lived in the same state since college, we've always kept in touch and have been through everything together. She's more like a sister and we work hard at seeing each other as much as possible. Laura and I are perfect Disney companions because we both like the same things and can skip over the same rides. Plus we've both gone there together so many times it's pretty much like clockwork. When my DH and I went to WDW for our honeymoon, I had to really work hard at my patience with him when he wanted to go to the Hall of Presidents and the Tiki Room! Definitely things Laura and I skip over, it's just a preference thing, you know?
OK, so a few weeks ago I was visiting my dad in Naples, FL, and Laura drove down to spend a few hours with me while my dad and DH were playing golf. She had to get home and we decided that a few hours together just wasn't enough, and I needed to get back down, soon for some more quality time together. And what better place to meet than Disney!
(Sidenote: It just occurred to me that I don't have any good pictures to share with you right now, I'll get some on photobucket REALLY soon and update this!)
Because this is going to be a Laura-and-Allie trip, poor DH and DD have to stay home. So my daughter will stay with my mom while DH works and then DH will pick her up for the weekend. I think I'm going to fly down on Thursday and come home Sunday. I will miss my daughter and husband, but it will be nice to spend time with Laura on my own, too! I need to feel wild and unattached every so often, it's good for moms!
A friend of mine who I work with has timeshare points that she's going to lose if she doesn't use them so she offered them to me for this trip. They're going to try to get us into the Wyndham Bonnet Creek for 3 nights, Thursday through Saturday. It would be SO great if we could basically stay on property, even if it isn't a real Disney Resort. And for next to nothing, they won't accept cash from us, so we're going to buy them a very nice gift card to a local restaurant and buy them some nice mementos from WDW. If Bonnet Creek doesn't work out, then we'll have to stay further away, either Star Island or Cypress Palms (?). Any of these would be great for the price we're paying, but I'm crossing my fingers for Bonnet Creek!
OK, I'm going to wrap this up for now, but I need everyone's opinion on something. What would you do?
The original plan was that Laura will work on Thursday, pick me up on Thursday night at the airport, and we'll have Friday and Saturday in the parks and I'll go home on Sunday afternoon. (Sidenote: I should mention here that I work part time - Monday-Wednesday - so I have all day Thursday off. You'll see where I'm going with this.) Laura will take off work Friday to spend with me, but she can't take off Thursday. So, what do you think, should I try to get down as early as I can on Thursday morning and spend the day on my own either in the parks or at DTD? Then Laura can just meet me at the resort. OR, should I just wait for her until Thursday evening and not do a day on my own? I've never been to WDW by myself and I'm not sure if I'm going to like it. Plus, an extra day there means extra money. But worth it? Hmmmm, let me know what you think about this.
Pictures and updates to come. I'm supposed to find out tomorrow if my friend can get us into Bonnet Creek, or if we'll have to stay further away. And then I have to figure out my flights.
I'm getting sooooooo excited! Thanks for reading and for your feedback!
OK - a few pics for reference:
My DH and me on our honeymoon:
My DD in her first Halloween costume:
My daughter's constant companion, we don't go anywhere - ever - without it!
My DD thought she had hit the jackpot when she saw these two. She wanted to know why they couldn't come home with us on the airplane!
That's all I have for now!
