**UPDATED**pre-Trip Report: The Dream is Coming True!

[DancinDaisyDuck]

This may sound very familiar for anyone on another board, I apologize.

Cast:
Me (23): Nikki, very enthusiastic first timer
Roommate/Good Friend (24): Brittany, seasoned Disney goer
Brittany's Godmother: Kim, Orlando resident and wife to castmember. Not a fan of The World but will be joining us for select occasions

3/29: Departure and DTD
Our flight leaves Buffalo at 11:00am, connects in boston (25 minute layover- I hope there are no delays!) and lands at MCO around 4:30. Using Magical Express to get to POP Century. I don't anticipate getting to POP much before 6pm, so I'm not making any ADR's for that night. We'll head over to DTD, probably meet up with Kim and eat wherever it's not busy (I'm hoping for Cooke's, Wolfgang's Cafe, or Cap'n Jacks). And then hit up World of Disney, Mickey's Mart, Basin and all the other shops we can get to. I can't wait to buy a Where Dreams Come True hoodie! Hopefully we'll get to bed at a decent hour, but I am sure I'll be way too excited to sleep!

3/30: At long last! **UPDATED**
We booked a character breakfast at Chef Mickey's for 7am. It's crazy early, but it was the very last ADR remaining when I called 35 days in advance. I really lucked out since it's smack dab in the middle of spring break. Hopefully such an early seating will pay off and we'll have lots of good character interaction and enjoy a relatively uncrowded buffet. Just looking at the menu makes my mouth water! And I won't have to waste time standing in a meet and greet line during the day. Since Kim's got the connections, we're meeting her sometime in the morning after she drops her kids off to school so we can get in to MK. Until then we'll look around the Contemporary and window shop, then take the monorail over and meet Kim at the TTC. Then it's off to the Magic Kingdom! I really have left the plans wide open since I have such a short window of time here. I am hoping to get to at least Adventureland and Frontier Land/Liberty Square. No lunch plans so we'll grab counter service or snacks as we go. Even though the EMH are at EPCOT Center that night, and I have agonized over whether I should leave MK and go. At first I was all for it, but after hearing some (not so) constructive feedback on my master plan I have decided to forgo it and stay at MK until the kiss goodnight. Really I just want to see Wishes since the soundtrack is always playing on Disney Magic radio, and once I saw a sneak peak on mlil's trip report (it's a great one, btw. go read it. now.) I was sold. WDW isn't going anywhere and there will other opportunities to visit EPCOT, I am sure. So now I have an all new game plan, including skipping the 3pm parade and Spectro to get in some quality time with the rides, and staking out a prime spot for Wishes.

3/31: EMH at MGM and check out
Britt loves sleeping in, so I am anticipating going to MGM by myself, but I'm not concerned. EMH are at 8, so I hope to leave by 7:30. I only have until 10am, just enough time to do Rockin' Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, Great Movie Ride and maybe Muppets 3D. Got to get back to POP to pack up and check out. Don't know yet if this is really going to work, but for now I'm telling myself I can do it. Kim's coming to get us around 11:30. The actual reason we're in Orlando is for a professional conference and placement exchange, which is held at both the Gaylord Palms and World Center Marriott. We'll be there until 4/3 when we fly back to Buffalo. It will be a very short trip, but I have been looking forward to going since I was old enough to know what WDW was and there was no way I could be in Orlando, literally across the street, and not go.

I know this is highly ambitious, especially for less than 2 whole days and the busiest time of year. And I know that I probably will not get to do everything I want to. Plus, it will likely be a few years before I go back to do Disney right. But I really don't care! Even if I only had 3 hours, I would be thrilled just to be in WDW! 29 days and counting!

 

[DancinDaisyDuck]

I very much enjoy the "Inside the Actor's Studio" like pre-trip entries that I have been reading. It makes me feel so connected to your families and (this may be just pinch unhealthy) lets me live vicariously through your trips. So, i decided to write my little backstory. I will share my favorite sounds, what profession I would like to attempt, but not my favorite curse word.....

I have basically wanted to go to Walt Disney World/Disneyland (they were both the same to me. No flames please, I didn't know any better!) for the longest time. My parents are both teachers in a small, rural school district, and while we did have some money we weren't upper class by any means. We hardly went on family vacations, partly due to the fact that they taught year round and my mom is deathly afraid of flying. We'd do the occational day trip here and there, mostly to museums and other educational hot spots. My little sister and I grew up watching Disney movies, and we're 80's kids so we have seen every episode of The New Mickey Mouse Club, and I can remember getting the Disney Channel when you had to order it.

Watching Disney Channel is the closest I have ever been to WDW. When EPCOT, MGM and Animal Kingdom were opening or MK was adding a new attraction (I distinctly remember Splash Mountain) there would be a short 30 second clip of it aired on Disney. They also would show half hour specials showcasing the parks and attractions, and of course those classic sit-coms (Boy Meets World, anyone?) would film special episodes there. My sister and I wanted to go soooo badly, but there was no way our family could go, we knew that. Especially after my parents divorced we knew we could only dream of going since there was no conceivable way it would be affordable on a single parent teacher salary. Plus my parents never showed interest in going at all. My dad's excuse for not taking us was that we'd have to drive all the way (we lived in upstate NY), and all he had heard about it was long lines and screaming kids and it was too expensive (he's a Looney Tunes guy anyway, never liked Mickey). So I had to get my Disney fix somehow, which came in the form of movies and Disney Channel.

Then in college I thought I would finally have my chance! A friend and I considered a Spring Break trip, and this was the time the Jurrasic Park ride was just opening at Universal (I know, I know, but he was a huge Jurrasic Park fan I convinced him to go to Disney, too). We were so close to booking everything- I had been saving money and working really hard all through school so I knew I could afford it. Then he decided he wasn't going to go. None of my friends wanted to go and my sister was still in high school and we didn't have breaks at the same time. So that dream was squashed again. Life went on, and I hate to admit but I am pretty sure I forgot all about my wishes to go to WDW.

Flash forward 4 years. I am in my last year of graduate school. I am job searching and plan on attending a HUUUUUUUUGE job placement exchange at a professional conference April 1-4. Come to find out, it's in Orlando this year! My current roommate Brittany is a Disney freak and has been there dozens of times thanks to Kim, her godmother whose husband is a CM. She's going to Orlando for the same conference. Everything started falling into place, and quickly.

We decided to go down to Orlando after our last class of the week, which put us there 2 days before the conference started. We made ressies at POP to stay 2 nights. We found a great flight for cheap and booked it right away. I jumped online and have been researching my behind off since Novermber of 06. I'm driving Britt crazy with my questions and planning, she jokes that I know more about WDW than she does, and I've never been there! I have my countdown cube going (34 days!), I'm at the Disney Store at least once a week, and DIS radio is constantly playing on my iBook. I am ready and raring to go!

The only thing I wish I could change (other than having more time, obviously) is that my sister could come with me. It's been our dream for so long to go and I wanted our first trips to be together. Well, little does she know I am planning on taking her for her college graduation gift in June of 2008. Let the planning for that trip begin!

Oh yeah...
Favorite Sound: ballerina's point shoes across a stage
What profession I want to attempt: figure skater
Profession I don't want tot attempt: lawyer

 

[DancinDaisyDuck]

I've got your single digit dance right here, baby!!!!!!

9 Days!