Two Uber-Planners, The Tazmanian Devil, and a Couple of Zen Masters ... December '11

[Escape2Disney]

Here we go...

Two weeks after returning from DLR, DD and I were talking about all things Disney (Doesn't everyone do that??) In this conversation, we started talking about how nice it would be to see EPCOT some day.

That got the wheels turning....

DD is turning 18 in a little over a year...

Wouldn't it be nice...

Wait, mom, your birthday is around then too....

So is Uncle's.....

Isn't that Christmas time too?? ....

That's how a simple Disney conversation and the mention of DD's 18th birthday quickly turned into a Christmas/Birthday Family Reunion at Disney World! Leave it to DD and I to redirect any and all celebrations to Disney!

And so it was born. The trip of Two Uber-Planners, The Tazmanian Devil, and a Couple of Zen Masters has come to be!

Cast of Characters:

ME (Turning 41 on the trip): Ultimate-uber-planning-Disney-Fanatic! I'm a Disneyland veteran who's ready to conquer the World for the first time! This, of course, requires lots and lots of planning. I can't think of a better way to spend a bit of time each week!

I'm a disabled traveler, so there are a lot of extra details that need to be considered (more on this later). That's part of the reason we're planning so far in the future - to be sure we can get all of these details under control and relax when we arrive.

While it's true that I am a bit nutty about Disney, most of my life is very quiet and calm.

DD (Turning 18 right after the trip): Uber-Planning-Disney-Fanatic-in-Training! What can I say? She's her mama's daughter! She's been going to DLR just about every year since she was 5 and thinks of it as a home away from home. She's an awesome kid!

DD has a high functioning form of autism which most people wouldn't notice. It tends to be more problematic in new, crowded situations. She doesn't act out - she shuts down if she's overwhelmed. We've found that a healthy dose of pre-planning and scheduling in breaks makes it all much more tolerable for her. We used Disneyland for YEARS to help her learn how to navigate crowds, speak up when she needs breaks, and generally handle the unexpected. Going to the World is like a final exam - 10x bigger than what she's used to!

In general, DD loves being home, at karate, or at the library. She's not your typical energy-driven teen.

DPUP (Turns 4 a couple of months before the trip): This is my service dog. He's been to DLR twice, but I'm still debating whether or not to take him to the World. He can handle darn near anything, but it can be a lot for even the most seasoned service dogs to handle two weeks in that environment. Since I'll have so many family members around to help me, I may give him a "vacation" and allow him to hang out with his puppy friends here at home with family friends. I haven't quite decided yet...

DSIS (37 at the time of the trip): Tazmanian Devil! My sister has more energy than anyone I know! She's only been to DL once (Grad Nite), and has never been to DW. She doesn't quite understand my Disney obsession or my need to plan every detail, so I'm trying not to overwhelm her! She's the reason I started this PTR. I HAVE to have a place to deal with the details. If I keep calling her, I'll spook her and she won't come!

I've nicknamed her Tazmanian Devil because she's quite a ball of energy! We couldn't be more different in that respect. I'll be thrilled to see her (we live 3000 miles apart), but we're being careful to have time apart as well since we tend to go at different paces.

DBIL (Turning 38 right before the trip): Zen Master One. My brother in law is as mellow as they come! He's an awesome guy who loves golf and movies. It'll be great to catch up with him on this trip. I think it's been 5 years or so since I've seen him.

DMOM (Not saying - she'd kill me): Zen Master Two. What can I say - my mom is awesome! You know the type of people you meet and think "I want to be her when I grow up"? That's her! She's strong, kind, positive, and an overall great person who loves her family dearly.

She's excited to go because it'll be the first real vacation with both of her kids since we were in our teens. I'm not sure if she's ever been to Disney, so she's not quite sure why I get so wrapped up in the details of this trip. Like with my sister, I'm trying not to spook her with my Disney fanaticism!

AND....

We might have a few more people in tow if everything works out:

DD2 and her family: She's having her first baby in February, so isn't quite sure if she'll be able to attend. A lot will depend on the baby's temperment. If he's a happy-traveler, the three of them will be meeting us at DW.

DSD: My step-dad is still on the fence about coming along. He HATES crowds and isn't that thrilled with the idea of Disney, so he's leaning toward NO. A typical "Grumpy" - gruff on the outside but quite the marshmellow on the inside. We're still working on him

WHEW! Who knew simply listing our clan could take up so much space!

What We Know

So far, we're just starting the planning process. There are a few things we DO know...

• We want to go the first or second week of December
• We'll be celebrating 3 birthdays - DBIL, DD, and I
• DD and I will stay between 12 and 14 days, with 2 non-park days.
• For DD and I, down-time is essential! We're not the open-to-close types. Mid-day breaks are non-negotiable necessities
• DSIS and DBIL will probably be there for 5-7 days
• DMOM (and DSD if he comes) will be there for 5-7 days
• DD2 and family will be there for as many days as they can if they are coming
• I'll be traveling in my wheelchair, but renting a scooter from Apple. I don't have the strength to push myself all day every day, and I don't want to depend too heavily on family for that.
• I'll be renting a hospital bed. This was a hard decision, but a necessary one. I have a hospital bed at home. When we went to DLR, sleeping in a regular bed was very painful. It's worth the extra expense afford a bit of comfort.

Decisions to Make

• Where to stay! I keep changing my mind on this one. It'll either be POR or offsite in a condo. There are benefits to each. After the first of the year I'll just have to make the decision and stick to it
• Whether or not to do non-Disney stuff while we're there (more on this later)
• Whether or not to get the dining plan. This will likely depend on whether or not we're staying onsite. If we're in the condo, it'll be cheaper to eat breakfast in the room and pack lunches.
• What to do on our non-Disney days. Sure, we plan to take it easy, but that doesn't mean sleeping ALL day for 2 days! We'll be looking for relaxing diversions for those days.
• Which tour(s) are we going to do?? There are so many more options at DW! We want to do them all, but that's obviously not very practical or financially sound.

Okay, I think that's enough for the first PTR posting! If you're reading this, welcome! Any suggestions/comments/feedback is greatly appreciated!

 

[Flyin2Pirates]

Hi! I'm DD. This will be my first time to DW and I cannot wait! You will probably see me post here and there when mom is up to her eyeballs in planning.

Here are a few things I'm helping to plan at this point:

• Where we should be staying - Mom and I are talking about this almost daily!
• Which restaurants look most appealing
• Figuring out when we can make reservations
• How long we should be staying - Since we can't stay a month, we have to figure out what we can do in the time we have. I vote for staying 14 days.

I'm sure there are many more things to talk about soon. If there is anyone my age who has taken a DW trip, I would love to hear what they like the most so I can look into it.

 

[Escape2Disney]

After reading other trip reports and forums here on DIS, I'm starting to realize how much more is involved when it comes to EATING at DW! More restaurant choices, more locations, more variety, etc....

I'm THRILLED to see such a variety of food options! After scouring this site and allears.net, we've come up with what we think is an appealing list:

• Boma (Love the food options!)
• Teppan Edo (Japanese food is our favorite)
• Ohana (character meal)
• Chef Mickey's (character meal)
• Tusker House (character meal)
• Mama Melrose
• Chefs de France
• Tutto Italia
• Restaurant Marrakesh
• Akershus (character meal)
• California Grill (for the SUSHI)
• Derby Brown (w/an imagineer. If we can't get that, then we won't go here)
• Biergarten (DD is drawn to the atmosphere)
• Narcoossee's
• Crystal Palace (character meal)

Now since we're staying 12-14 days, we may be able to hit all of these, but it's unlikely. We'd like to try some of the CS options in Epcot as well.

If you had to rate these and choose the top 10, what would they be? Do you have any other suggestions?

Once we've nailed down the list, we need to figure out which ones we should do before/after the rest of the family will be with us. Not everyone is an adventurous eater, so timing will be everything! DD, DMOM, and I are pretty adventurous when it comes to food. DSIS and hubby - not so much.

 

[Escape2Disney]

Hmmm, no feedback yet, but I figure I'll keep going!

I realized I haven't posted any pictures yet! Here are a few from our last trip:

We still haven't made any decisions yet. As a matter of fact, we just added another level of options!

DD has been homeschooling for a few years now, so we're always looking for educational opportunitites. She has attended almost all of the Y.E.S. classes at DLR, so I thought I'd check to see what's available at DW. They've got a GREAT selection! They also allow individual enrollment at DW on certain days. (This is very different than DLR where you need to be part of a group).

Will we sign her up for a class or two? Who knows? The schedule for Dec '11 won't be available until next month. Hopefully they'll have the classes she'd like to attend available during our time frame!!

 

[Escape2Disney]

We just got the quote from AAA and with no promos, the price is about $500 less than through the Disney website! That means if they're running a room discount or free dining, we'll be in really good shape! With this price quote, we've finally made the decision to stay at POR.

One bit of bad news though. It seems that the Dine with an Imagineer option isn't available during December. DD is disappointed, but quickly recovered since it'll still be an awesome trip.