exwdwcm
wishes she was Wendy Moira Angela Darling
- Joined
- Aug 19, 1999
Welcome to my trip report! Our title, well I'll get to it soon enough. and BRRRR....nope, that's not a chilly reception you are getting, but it was very chilly in WDW during our trip- recording breaking lows even. So join in the adventure and hear how we stayed warm (involved taking the wallet in and out of the pocket quite often!).
Here is my PRE TRIP REPORT if you are interested in reading the plans.
Trip Report Table of Contents:
Before I introduce the rest of our party, first, here are some basics, so you can determine whether you even want to read my ramblings or not......I know sometimes folks are looking to read reports for planning purposes and looking for similar dates from prior years, or those with kids the same ages as theirs etc.....Hopefully you read anyways, but in case you want the cliff notes:
WHEN: Saturday, Dec 4 through Saturday, Dec 11, 2010
WHO: Party of 5, me and DH (late 30s), my mother in law, my 10yo niece and my 3yo son
WHERE: 7 nights at Bay Lake Towers, 1 bedroom, Lakeview
HOW: 3 Annual Passes, Two 8 day park hoppers, NO free dining, pay OOP for meals, MVMCP on 12/9, CLP package on 12/8, rental car from National, garden grocer order
So still interested? Well great, let's finish up the 'cast'.
DH- Alan, turning 40 next year, great dad, works full time for a REIT- Real Estate Investment Trust (commercial property), loves working out and surprised me with buying DVC as our 10th anniversary gift. Was really a disney grump until our first visit with our son (2 at the time) last year, then i think he 'got' what the magic is all about it (hence DVC). Oh and he is really cheap, this will come into play when you hear all the whining about how expensive the food is later.
Here is DH, me and our little guy!
Will- my little joy of life, my just turned (Oct 30) 3yo son. He's actually a pretty good kid most of the time, just potty trained a week before the trip. He has no fear of anything, is a mama's boy and LOVES trash. I know, i am obsessed with disney, this kid is obsessed with trash cans. We go to walmart and he wants to look at trashcans more than toys. Loves taking out trash, finding trash cans in public etc. It is actually pretty funny- he is very neat and clean too, hmmmm wonder who he gets that from.....oh yeah, me!
Glenda- yes, the good witch! My mother in law, lucked out here and have a great one that I adore. She lives about 2.5 hours north of us in Oklahoma. She is most recently single, awaiting her divorce to go through. Originally ex hubby was supposed to go with us, but we brought along my niece in his place instead. MIL is pretty easy going, laid back and great with my son.
Lindsey- my 10yo niece- also from Oklahoma and how do I put it----very um, sheltered. I don't think she has ever been outside of TX or OK before, never flown before and never been on a full week's vacation like this. She's a great student and overall good kid.
here is MIL and Lindsey together on the plane:
So there is our cast introduction, next up, a brief review of our plans and thought process, then right into day 1!
Here is my PRE TRIP REPORT if you are interested in reading the plans.
Trip Report Table of Contents:
- Saturday, December 4th PART I- flight
- Saturday, December 4th PART II- DTD, GF
- Saturday, December 4th PART III-Epcot, Hacienda, Illuminations
- Sunday, December 5th PART I-CP, MK am
- Sunday, December 5th PART II- PUSH, MK
- Sunday, December 5th, PART III, HS, Osborne Lights, Sci Fi
- Monday, December 6th, PART I, Epcot, Jammitors, Pick a Pearl
- Monday, December 6th, PART II, O'hana, MK/MSEP
- Tuesday, December 7th, PART I, AK am, Yeti, Divine
- Tuesday, December 7th, PART II, Top of the World Lounge
- Wednesday, December 8th, PART I, HS, TSM, cupcake!
- Wednesday, December 8th, PART II, Candlelight /Le Cellier
- Thursday, December 9th, PART I, DTD
- Thursday, December 9th, PART II, MVMCP!
- Friday, December 10th, PART I, MK
- Friday, December 10th, PART II, Epcot, Via Napoli
- Saturday, December 11th- bye bye! Epcot am
I suppose first we should start with introductions, I am Michelle, exwdwcm (ex WDW cm- as in ex-cast-member!), mother of a 3yo, full time Marketing Manager in the technology field in Dallas, wife of 10 years and obviously an obsessed, crazy, perfectionist, planner disney freak as my friends kindly put it. I've been into Disney my whole life, worked in the WDW College program in the fall of 1996 (at MGM) and most recently, became a DVC member and passholder! I've had more trips than I can count, including a day here or there snuck in with business trips to Orlando. I even managed to stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge on business once (hey it was on the approved hotel list!).
Before I introduce the rest of our party, first, here are some basics, so you can determine whether you even want to read my ramblings or not......I know sometimes folks are looking to read reports for planning purposes and looking for similar dates from prior years, or those with kids the same ages as theirs etc.....Hopefully you read anyways, but in case you want the cliff notes:
WHEN: Saturday, Dec 4 through Saturday, Dec 11, 2010
WHO: Party of 5, me and DH (late 30s), my mother in law, my 10yo niece and my 3yo son
WHERE: 7 nights at Bay Lake Towers, 1 bedroom, Lakeview
HOW: 3 Annual Passes, Two 8 day park hoppers, NO free dining, pay OOP for meals, MVMCP on 12/9, CLP package on 12/8, rental car from National, garden grocer order
So still interested? Well great, let's finish up the 'cast'.
DH- Alan, turning 40 next year, great dad, works full time for a REIT- Real Estate Investment Trust (commercial property), loves working out and surprised me with buying DVC as our 10th anniversary gift. Was really a disney grump until our first visit with our son (2 at the time) last year, then i think he 'got' what the magic is all about it (hence DVC). Oh and he is really cheap, this will come into play when you hear all the whining about how expensive the food is later.
Here is DH, me and our little guy!
Will- my little joy of life, my just turned (Oct 30) 3yo son. He's actually a pretty good kid most of the time, just potty trained a week before the trip. He has no fear of anything, is a mama's boy and LOVES trash. I know, i am obsessed with disney, this kid is obsessed with trash cans. We go to walmart and he wants to look at trashcans more than toys. Loves taking out trash, finding trash cans in public etc. It is actually pretty funny- he is very neat and clean too, hmmmm wonder who he gets that from.....oh yeah, me!
Glenda- yes, the good witch! My mother in law, lucked out here and have a great one that I adore. She lives about 2.5 hours north of us in Oklahoma. She is most recently single, awaiting her divorce to go through. Originally ex hubby was supposed to go with us, but we brought along my niece in his place instead. MIL is pretty easy going, laid back and great with my son.
Lindsey- my 10yo niece- also from Oklahoma and how do I put it----very um, sheltered. I don't think she has ever been outside of TX or OK before, never flown before and never been on a full week's vacation like this. She's a great student and overall good kid.
here is MIL and Lindsey together on the plane:
So there is our cast introduction, next up, a brief review of our plans and thought process, then right into day 1!