WDW 2008, just us and the weans - NOW WITH PICS!!!

[Dr_Finkelstein]

Hello,
Have been reading all of the trip reports and have been inspired to try my hand. Am pretty rubbish with computers - it took me 10 mins to figure out how to post a new thread, so don't be surprised if this all goes horribly wrong.
Anyway...only 6 weeks and 1 day till our upcoming holiday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This will be our 4th trip to WDW (am still getting to grips with all the abbreviations, so bear with me). The 3rd time with the kids.

There is me iane (36), DH/Grumpy:Gordon (37), DSBen(7) and DD Heather (7). Yes, we have twins!

September 1999: offsite
November 2004: offsite
September 2006 WDW POP
15-29 September 2008 WDW POFQ

This year will be the first time just the four of us Previously we have always gone with friends: Michael and Susan and their daughter Rachel (6). We were meant to go with them this time as well, but an unexpected pregnancy scuppered their plans! We were all booked up when they got the good news, and were both slightly stunned (though I did gently remind her that for the Pill to work properly you need to remember to take it)
We thought of rescheduling, and coming earlier in the year, maybe May, when she wasn't as far on, but with all the extra charges that they add it was just costing too much. Plus Susan wasn't too keen on coming to WDW and being the unofficial bag keeper (she loves WDW just as much if not more than me and LOVES all the rides! She just couldn't face the thought of going but not being able to do everything she loves, plus the thought of walking all those miles round the parks in the heat at any time is tough, but to be pregnant as well!) So now she is planning the next trip for us!
I've been showing great restraint and only torture them slightly discussing our itinery.
Susan usually does all the planning and booking so now I've stepped into the breach and have found out I'm even more obsessed and anal about it all than she is. I've got my Unofficial Guide (with post it notes stuck through it all for ease of reference), am on DIS practically constantly, and DH is just as bad!
Our only worry is that no holiday can possibly live up to this degree of obsession and expectation!
My other worry is that I'll be driving for the first time : DH and Michael shared that the last holiday. I'm a fairly confident driver normally, but the last time I drove in a foreign country was in Tenerife about 15 years ago, when I was much younger/stupider.
Much as it won't quite be the same Michael, Susan and Rachel not being there (no one else we know shares our obsession with WDW), I don't think I'll miss the 'in car entertainment' they (well, Michael) provided: Me & Susan: "There's a sign for the Florida Mall - turn right!" Michael: "The Sat Nav hasn't said turn right" Me & S "We can SEE the Florida Mall - TURN RIGHT" M: "What's the point of hiring a Sat Nav if we don't follow it's directions". Me & S: "TURN RIGHT NOW MONKEY BOY!!!"
We also realised last trip (1st time hiring a car) he has a habit of saying 'right' all the time, which caused problems when he was giving directions: "At the next junction turn left, right"
Also I may see more of my DH, as prior to them cancelling, when Gordon and Michael were discussing what they were planning to do, it just seemed to consist of them going to the ESPN bar. A lot. DH is now grumbling about taking a laminated photo of Michael and sitting it next to him when he goes to the bar. Saddo, as if the company of his Darling Wife and 2 children 24/7 for 15 days in a confined space won't be stimulation enough He's not a 6'4" re-incarnation of Grumpy for nothing

Better go and round up the twinnies for bed, will try and return tomorrow to bore you with more details of our upcoming trip.

Bye for now

Diane x

[/IMG] My babies!

 

[Dr_Finkelstein]

We booked this trip last year, in August, after having been pre planning it for MONTHS. Obsessive Disney addict, moi? We knew we definately wanted to stay in Disney again, mainly because of the DDP. I just thought it was great - having all these fab character meals (while previously they were a one off holiday treat!)
Plus, as I have a genetic predisposition to nosiness (from my mothers side) I especially loved going to all the different hotels for meals and seeing how the other half holidays and dreaming of future visits Only after a lottery win!
After keeping an eagle eye on prices we couldn't say no to the free DDP, and it meant staying at a moderate resort this time: POFQ always looked so pretty!
Unfortunately it meant taking the kids out of school for 2 weeks, not something we were very keen on doing, but to get the holiday we wanted during school holidays would have cost about £1000+ more, which we couldn't afford We've practically bankrupted ourselves for this one anyway But if we were doing Disney, we were doing Disney properly! Seeing the kids faces makes all the saving worthwhile!
So we decided to bite the bullet and take them out (they had perfect attendance all last year! And we didn't have a family holiday at all last year) and will take bits of homework for them to do during 'quiet time'. I heard that holidays as a family can be very beneficial, and when else will they visit so many different cultures! (Epcot WS!!) Plus DH and myself didn't really fancy going in the height of summer - too hot and too crowded! So, faced with a choice of holiday during school time or no holiday at all, or a rubbish week somewhere Spanish (and, lets face it, once you've done WDW nothing else compares) it was a fairly easy choice. But we won't be doing it again, we'll just take a bit longer to save (no holidays for 2 years!) and take them just as school finishes. Bet you can tell I've been feeling guilty about this!
Why is it so much of parenting is about guilt?
Next installment (bet you're on the edge of your seats!) The itinery!!!

 

[Dr_Finkelstein]

Well Day 1 of our upcoming trip is pretty straightforward - travelling! We fly out at 3pm our time 15 Sep and arrive Sanford 7pm WDW time (around about midnight our time) - an 8 hour flight. Hopefully with no delays.
Just 8 hours in a tin tube defying the laws of gravity trying to occupy DS and DD , not to mention DH/Grumpy . Just found out the airline are upgrading all their flights so they have those dinky seat back screens for everyone...just in time for next year. So we'll be stuck again with those fold down from the hatches screens that we never seem to able to see properly. And we'll probably be split up again - 3 in one row, 1 in another - guess who always seems to end up with the kids? We try and swap but the kids always seem to gravitate back to me after about 30 secs (maybe I should try and earn the nickname Grumpy?).

I got a phone call from the travel company last week and my immediate thought was "OMG! What's happened to the holiday!! But they were only trying to sell us upgraded baggage allowance (we're never near the basic allowance anyway as we take out practically empty cases; got to save some space for all the Disney purchases!) and pre-booked seating; again we never go for that as when we've paid the extra for it before we've always been split up anyway 'Sorry, booking error!'

Hopefully when we get to Orlando we won't have to wait too long to get to the hotel - but on the last trip (WDW POP Sep 2006) it took forever to get through Immigration and then we had to wait about 2 hours in the car hire queue to get the keys, figure out how to work the car seat, start and drive the van (we're used to stick shift), and set the Sat Nav - thank God for the trolley guy at the airport who took pity on us - we were the last ones in the car park. By this time it was midnight - our flight having touched down just after 7pm

We had a pretty straightforward drive to the park after that...and I mean MK. Being a novice Sat Nav user I had set the destination as WDW thinking we would find POP easily once we got there...not so We missed the sign for POP and then spent the next hour driving in circles around WDW trying to find it (picture if you will the scene from National Lampoons European Vacation) "Look - there's the Magic Kingdom..again. Look - Richard Petty's Driving Experience...again". We can laugh at it now, at the time we felt as if were in some weird WDW parallel universe - so close to the dream, yet still so far...

Eventually we got to POP at 2 AM(!!!), and checked in, though the guy at check in seemed to have overdosed on the Disney-hyper dust and spent more time laughing at his overflowing pen holder than giving us directions and room keys. (this was about 7 AM OUR time, and I seriously felt like strangling someone - happiest place on earth or not). Well, his directions were rubbish, it took us another 40 mins to find the rooms, and then we couldn't read his writing and when we tried to get into our rooms the keys wouldn't work (if Walt or Mickey had been about I wouldn't have been cuddling them). Why wouldn't the keys work? We were at the wrong rooms!! After finally deciphering Mr Happy from check -in's penmanship we found the correct rooms eventually...bliss. Thankfully, no-one had phoned Security to arrest us for attempted breaking and entering - OMG when I think of those people in the rooms we tried to get into! That would have been a great start - just arrived and thrown into Disney jail

[/IMG] One man and his van - how he loved that van!

Bye for now - Diane

Only 5 weeks and 6 days till POFQ!!!

 

[earthfaries]

Hi! I saw your post on MayButterfly's PTR ~ it looks like we're all going to Disney around the same time I just started my PTR too. I am going read yours, I'm just subbing now. I will post again when I've caught up

 

[Dr_Finkelstein]

My first reply!!! I saw your PTR - your kids look so cute! Have just managed to start posting photos, though they came out very small!
Will need to read your first report! I love hearing from people who are as Disney addicted as we are!

 

[Dr_Finkelstein]

Back again! Just spent all of yesterday in bed with a viral thingie - not good And I'm on holiday this week - just typical!
Still, only 5 weeks and 4 days till we fly off!!! I cannot emphasise how excited I and DH/Grumpy are! The kids are just kind of - 'Yeah, WDW holiday soon, ok'
First park we are going to hit is MGM...sorry Hollywood Studios. It's kind of a tradition with us, I don't know why. The last twice we've been we've always gone to MGM (as was) on the first full day. I still can't get used to calling it HS! When I phoned to get the ADR the agent on the phone was saying he still got mixed up and kept calling it MGM! Can't wait, DS , has talked me into going on Mission Space so I've said only if you go on ToT DD , is a bit of a rollercoaster speed demon, so she's desperate to go on RnRC for the first time. They're 7, nearly 8. We had to talk her out of going on The Hulk the last time we were there (they were only 5, nearly 6 then!) We just felt, bit too young!
Also got our first ADR that night, at Sci Fi . Love that place! Food is just ok but the atmosphere and the setting is just fab! Also partial to the cocktails too...though just for the glowing light cubes of course.
Aren't going to 50's Prime Time this visit, though it was really cool. We went there twice last trip.
Now would be a really good time to post the photo of DH/Grumpy eating his dessert whilst wearing the Ariel bib 'Big Sister' made him wear for not eating his greens. But he said the word 'divorce' when I mentioned it. Maybe later.

Next post: how I got a reservation for CRT!

 

[kathleen27]

Hope you feel better soon!

My trip overlaps with yours as well!
But is much shorter.
We will be there the 26th through the 30th!!!
I am excited to see pretrips of others who will be there the same time as us!!!

Hope you have better luck with the car or van and check in this time!
That's a long flight, plus a big time difference!

 

[Dr_Finkelstein]

Back again! Was only going to do one post a day but am quite bored at the moment so as usual: back on DIS!
On with the plans! Our 2nd full day we are going to MK, we had planned to go slightly later in the week, but as I had heard how hard it was to get an ADR for CRT I thought I would start trying early, fully expecting to fail and not get the ADR at all during the whole trip. I had read up on the whole 'atomic clock' thing on the Unofficial Guide, had pre tried the phone number etc., had set my mobile phone to remind me 5 mins before to get ready...Anyway, am pretty c**p with technology so the reminder never went off, I was busy with housework (even I'm stunned by that!) and forgot all about it until about 11:30 am our time (07:30 WDW time). So phoned up fully expecting to be told 'Sorry, no'. To my complete surprise the agent said 'What time do you want for lunch? We have plenty of availability'!!??** I was so shocked I could hardly speak!
We got it !!!!
So straightaway got DD booked in for her style session at BBB. What a fab place! She went for the first time last trip and LOVED it What a great idea; it's amazing Disney didn't think of it before.

Am trying to post pics of DD at BBB last trip but for some reason it isn't playing - told you I'm allergic to technology Will try again later.

Have done it!!!!!

DD with her Fairy-Godmother-in-training Katie

[/IMG]
DD and Mum



Also got ADR for dinner that night at Restaurant Marrakesh, have never been but have heard it's good - would welcome any opinions!

Cheerio for now
Di x

 

[Dr_Finkelstein]

Hello again,
Still having problems posting any pics, am so disappointed!!!! Have a load I want to put up, will just need to go back and put them up when we get it sorted, hopefully will also be able to post bigger photos as so far, the few we've been able to post are just thumbnail size, any suggestions? DH/Grumpy is the computer geek in the family - I still panic and think if I press the wrong button something will explode
Anyway, more on our trip!! My fav subject Day 4 we're going to Epcot, shockingly this will be our first time 'doing' Epcot Previously we've always dismissed Epcot as probably being a bit rubbish - why, I don't know! Last trip we had a couple of ADRs there, we quickly changed our minds when we were walking through to the restaurants - it looked fab!
We want to get there pretty sharp to ride/grab FPs for the rides. Ashamed to say it will be the first time ever for Mission Space, Soarin, Test Track and The Seas with nemo. DS is adamant I do MS with him (I'm not that keen as feeling sick is never a high point for me, but I've said I'll do the no spin version) And only if he does ToT.
Then want to walk through WS in DAYLIGHT this time, it all looked great, even in darkness! Interested in seeing the updated Mexican ride - we were probably alone in thinking the old version was a classic in the 'so bad it's actually good' vein.
Planning to just grab CS lunch and then have a late ADR at Teppan Edo (Nine Dragons was our original choice but it will still be closed). I'm looking forward to it but DH is a really picky eater, worse than the children,opcorn:: but he likes tempura so I'm sure he'll be ok, he'll just have to be anyway! Will need to keep giving DS , and DD snacks to keep them going, ADR not till 815! Will go a bit early just in case, delightful as DS and DD are they lack some essential attributes at times: patience at mealtimes being one. Plus if they go too long between feeding times they go psycho grumpy - DS especially! Times like that I can cheerfully strangle them.

Only 5 weeks and 2 days till WDW POFQ

See you later, keep posting!

love Di x

 

[earthfaries]

Hello! So I just now caught up and read your PTR. Things are busy busy busy here.

I couldn't stop laughing at your check in at Pop last time I know, not funny then, but really funny now. Poor people ~ they were probably freaking out someone was trying to get in their room, and the CM, too funny

Sounds like such a great trip! I can't wait to read all about it!!! Hopefully things will go much smoother this time!

Do you have anymore ADRs? You should try Boma ~ it's wonderful

You will love Epcot ~ there's just something about it. The kids will love Test Track. Try and watch Miyuki ~ the candy lady in Japan ~ she's really neat.

Not too much longer left! How early do you start packing? I just started my list yesterday and I pack about 2 weeks beforehand so we're totally ready to go with no last minute stress. We don't bring too much though.

Can't wait for the next update!

​

 

[Dr_Finkelstein]

I know, if it had been us the rooms while we were trying to break in I would have freaked!!! At the time it was a nightmare but it was a really good holiday and we can laugh about it now. But why we didn't end up facing Disney Security I don't know! I can only think the rooms were either empty, or whoever was in them were so tired after another day in WDW they slept through it - unlikely as I was pretty much trying to force the door!
Luckily we never saw the same CM again at the front desk otherwise I would have had some very choice un-Disney-like words to say to him!
We have loads of ADRs - 13 TS meals We've got a really good selection (I hope), Boma definately included, can't wait to go back! But not until the last Saturday night
You won't have long to go either! I'm holding myself back from packing now! Usually I pack in the last week, but I've got most things washed and ready 2-3 weeks before. Have got everything we need clothes-wise, just need a couple of things toiletries wise now. Will head to Boots next weekend! How's your list shaping up - how organised are you?

 

[earthfaries]

I'm a pretty organized person In a notebook I write all our names down and catagories like food, misc., etc. and think of everything we'll need, that way we won't forget anything! We have a condo for the week and we eat natural and organic so we bring stuff like mac and cheese, cereal and oatmeal and just buy frozen and perishables once we get there. We don't bring too many clothes because we have a washer and dryer ~ such a treat on vacation and the kids toys and DS's and games, etc.

I like to be ready ahead of time so I can just have it all ready and pack up the van the day or two before so we're ready to go. It will be a little more hectic this time because Zar's birthday is the day before we leave on the 25th.

​

 

[Dr_Finkelstein]

I think with kids you need to be organised! I don't do a notebook, I tend to keep it in my head but I know what we need. Doing laundry is great! I sound really sad there don't I.
I now just take enough clothes to do us for 1 week and then do a washing a couple of times - you need to pack so much less that way! Toiletries I just take small travel packs and throw them away before we go home.
I'm taking books and puzzle books etc for them - I've avoided getting them DSs or PSPs so far, DS is a real computer/TV geek , I worry that if I get him one he'd never be off it! We have to limit his TV watching/computer/XBox time as it is. He'd never see daylight if we didn't. Eventually I will have to give in though!
Hope Zar has a great birthday!
Di x

 

[crmscotland]

I'm really enjoying reading your pre-trippie.

Was your twins school ok about them going on holiday in term time?

I see you live in Prestwick, l'm about 4 miles away - in Ayr.

 

[Dr_Finkelstein]

I'm really enjoying reading your pre-trippie.

Was your twins school ok about them going on holiday in term time?

I see you live in Prestwick, l'm about 4 miles away - in Ayr.

Hi crmscotland,
It's nice to hear from a fellow Scot, especially since we're practically neighbours!
Haven't told the school yet! Will do when they go back next week. Have discussed it with other parents at the school who've taken their kids out, and apparently the school's ok about it. Our 2 are hardly ever off school - I've sent them into school with broken wrists and broken collarbone (not all at the one time and after they had received medical treatment I hasten to add!) It's marked as unauthorised absence on their attendance record (which I would expect), but they don't do anything else. Hopefully we won't be the parents they decide to make an example of!
Do you have any upcoming WDW trips? (I'm getting into all the abbreviations now!)
Keep posting,
Di x

 

[Dr_Finkelstein]

Hope you feel better soon!

My trip overlaps with yours as well!
But is much shorter.
We will be there the 26th through the 30th!!!
I am excited to see pretrips of others who will be there the same time as us!!!

Hope you have better luck with the car or van and check in this time!
That's a long flight, plus a big time difference!

Thanks Kathleen, Feeling much better now!
It is a long flight, but WDW is definately worth it! But because it is such a long flight it's a good excuse to come for a fortnight!

Bye Di x

 

[Dr_Finkelstein]

Onto the next installment!
On the Friday we plan to go to Animal Kingdom - I think one of my favourite parks (who am I kidding - I love them all!) AK always seems a bit more laid back, there's not a lot of 'big rides' as such but I think because you have to walk around looking at things it just seems more relaxed.
But there is Expedition Everest!! We are planning on taking the twins on this for the first time, and they're really looking forward to it. So we'll hit the park fairly early and try and get a couple of FPs.
Will definately do Kali (DH probably won't - he hates getting wet "what about the camera!"), ITTBAB, want to see the Nemo show, Safari, will avoid Dinosaur like the plague , we love Primevil Whirl but it will be closed, try and catch Lion King and see some characters. We somehow missed the tigers the last time so want to see them, the monkeys and wouldn't mind seeing the Bird Show. We plan to just grab a CS lunch in AK then...

Now I'm getting annoyed! Still cannot post pictures!!! DH get off the couch and DO SOMETHING!!!! Should insert cool photo of The Donald with DD here... DH better get this fixed soon!!

Got it fixed!

[/IMG]

Donald Duck rules OK!

Anyway...then we head to MK for MNSSHP!!! As we're not doing Seaworld this year, and Dixie Stampede has closed we thought we'd give it a go. I ordered the tickets and then got them within DAYS!!! Damn those Disney folks is fast - I thought would take ages to get them.
DS and DD are definately dressing up and DH is suggesting we do too As we have no costumes that could be tricky! Do a lot of adults dress up? - would go for it but don't want to stand out like a sore thumb.
Will just grab a CS dinner at MK - have checked out UG and fancy Columbia Harbour House or Cosmic Rays.

The reason we're not doing SW this trip is because we were a little disappointed last time (usually we love it!). I know Shamu had just had a baby, and that it was really cute and not something you see everyday, but I had travelled 8 hours in a plane and, selfish as I know I sound, I wanted to see a whale do tricks and get splashed by it's big tail! I'm a really bad person, I know

I'll go now and keep my guilt to myself now.

Di x

 

[crmscotland]

Hi crmscotland,
It's marked as unauthorised absence on their attendance record (which I would expect), but they don't do anything else. Hopefully we won't be the parents they decide to make an example of!

The past 3 years we've taken our daughter(11) out of school for short trips to Disneyland Paris (3 school days missed each time) and her primary school has always been fine about it, her attendance has otherwise always been excellent. It's reassuring to hear that South Ayrshire seem to be ok about a longer trip too.
My daughter starts secondary school after the summer so l wouldn't want to go away in future at a time when she would miss a lot of school work.

Do you have any upcoming WDW trips? (I'm getting into all the abbreviations now!)

We haven't got a trip booked at the moment , but we are hoping to go to WDW in a year or two (probably 2010) , my son will be age 7 by then. In the meantime l'm enjoying reading about other folks trips and getting up to speed with all the WDW jargon/abbreviations - l wonder if there is a list of them somewhere?

Enjoyed reading the latest part of your pre-trippie.

Mary-Ellen

 

[Dr_Finkelstein]

Thanks Mary-Ellen,
I suppose it just depends on your school, but ours seems ok. But I don't think we'll take them out at this time again, more likely to take them end of June, just as school finishes when we next go! Unfortunately, probably not until 2011
I'm still having trouble with the abbreviations, I don't know if there's a list I've just kind of figured them out - sometimes after a long period of consideration and much 'what's this???'
I'm sure you can't wait until your trip 2010!! Harry Potter World will be open by then as well - I'm really looking forward to that. We're BIG HP fans here
Bye
Di x

 

[earthfaries]

Hi! You will LOVE MNSSHP!!! Be careful though, the one time we did a park during the day/afternoon then went to the party we were exhausted! I highly recommend only doing MNSSHP on that day.

And yes, LOTS of adults dress up for the party ~ this is WDW remember