VanillaThunder
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2021
Hello friends! I've never written a blog, or trip report, or anything like this before. Let's see how it goes...
Before we get into this trip, let me tell you a bit about my Disney history. I grew up in the LA area, so as a kid, I went to Disneyland about once a year, give or take. I remember loving it at the time, getting all the kid souvenirs, making mom/grandma buy all of the oversized VHS tapes, wearing Mickey shirts almost every day, etc. I even got to be the kid who pulled the Sword from the Stone in Fantasyland once. But as you grow up, sometimes you start to forget. Around age 11, I moved to NorCal, maybe went once again after that, and then kind of grew out of it after that.
We met at work when we were both 26, and we hit it off right away. She told me of her family's absolute love for all things Disney, and the more she told me stories of their Disney family history, the more the memories started to come back to me. Our relationship progressed fast, and within three months of meeting, I suggested a little vacation, and we were on our way to Disneyland for a three-day trip! I'll keep it brief, but between the nostalgia of being a kid at Disneyland and me falling in love with the woman of my dreams, all the Disney magic re-awoke in me, and I was hooked. The first day, I played it cool, but by day two, I was wearing my Mickey ears nonstop, posing for pics at our character breakfast, you name it!
For a then-now comparison, and a bit of fond memory on my part, here's us from our first trip.
Since then, we’ve made it a tradition to go Disney in some capacity every other year, and we’ve honored that tradition until this day.
I’ll never be able to remember them all right now, or be able to list them all here, but here are a few of our memorable experiences at Disney:
1989 - OK, this isn't us, but I just found these. I knew it happened, but I had no proof!
2011 – First time staying onsite – Paradise Pier Hotel
2013 – We went to Disney World this time. My first time there, her second. It was a large family (hers) trip, and while extremely fun, I typically like to vacation with just the two of us, so we are in total control of our time and activities.
2015 – For our first wedding anniversary, I booked us the Fairytale Suite! I actually booked it over a year in advance, so that was before our wedding! That was incredible, and likely a once in a lifetime experience. The room was immaculate, had so many touches of Disney magic, and the way they catered to and pampered us, we felt like royalty! We only stayed in the room for the first night of the trip. We booked three more nights in a standard room at the Disneyland Hotel.
2017 – Our first time staying during Christmas season! We typically go late September, around our anniversary, and the Halloween season is in full effect. But we decided to go the week after Thanksgiving this year. I quickly realized that’s the time to go! Kids are back in school so the parks are less crowded, the weather is much cooler, but still not too cold (at least for me), and the decorations! I’ve seen the photos and videos, but nothing compares to experiencing Disney decorated for Christmas, all of the holiday overlays, treats, parades, etc.
2019 – We got in to Club 33! The Mrs. has a client/vendor/business partner (I can never remember which), that has a membership. I don’t know the exact details, but he was able to get us (including my wife’s sister and niece/goddaughter) reservations for lunch. We put on our Sunday finest and had the most luxurious meal I’ve ever had.
2021 – Well, we’re smack dab in the middle of a pandemic, Disneyland is closed, we just got back from 
Maui in January, so Disney World is a little out of the budget. What do we do? Well, when Disney announced the Taste of Disney event in California Adventure, I was one of the ones in the virtual queue for 4+ hours trying to procure tickets. I figured at least we’ll be at Disney. That should satisfy my thirst, as well as our tradition, right? I got the tickets, and the wife and I headed down and got our taste on Easter.
Was it enough?
The short answer is no, it was most definitely not enough. I knew what I was getting into. California Adventure only, no rides, no shows, most restaurants and shops closed, basically just eating, drinking, walking, and shopping. It was fine. I’d say the ticket cost was worth it, but it wasn’t worth the 6 hour drive each way or the two-night hotel cost.
That brings us to the beginning of how the trip this report is based upon got started.
Shortly after I bought my Taste of Disney tickets, it was announced that Disneyland was going to reopen later in April. The wheels in my head were turning, and I was thinking of ways to convince the Mrs. that the Taste wasn't enough, and we needed to plan a real trip. As I said, we had already spent almost two weeks in Maui earlier in the year. We generally don’t even go on a large trip every year, let alone two trips in one year. To top it off, her career field is finance, and while we can certainly afford more trips, she’s very much a saver. Lucky me though, because she keeps the finances in order to the point where we have zero debt except for our mortage payment, a healthy savings, and a very comfortable retirement plan. Amazing woman, right? For that and so much more, but that’s another story for another site
.
So here I am, pricing out Disneyland trips for random times this year. I know it’s a very long shot, and I’m likely not going to be able to find that amazing deal that convinces Wifey to let me press that “complete transaction” button. But a guy can hope.
Then, things happened that got my mind wandering in a whole other, much crazier, direction. Disney announces the WDW Most Magical Celebration (50th anniversary) for later in the year. Intriguing. More details trickle out. Castle overlay. Golden statues. Special 50th anniversary merchandise and food. Many restaurants reopening that had been closed during much of the pandemic. Character breakfasts returning. Oh Disney, you got me again. See you soon...
I then start pricing out trips to Disney World. That’s nuts. I’ve only been one time, and that was planned out for me. I don’t know what I’m doing! It’s across the country, which will require plane tickets, and a much longer stay than Disneyland. You can’t do Disney World in three or four days. I’m convinced you need at least 10. When I went in 2013, we were there for two weeks, and I felt like I didn’t get to see and do even half of it. Likely because we were with a large group and you know how that can be, trying to cater to everyone.
So, we’re looking at a $6k or more WDW trip, as opposed to the $2k-ish DL trip that I was originally thinking. We’ve spent less, but we’ve spent much more at DL in our time, so I went around the average. The wife is never going to go for it. But I press on.
I’m mainly looking at booking through Costco. I don’t want to deal with flights, tickets, rental cars, etc., and I like that they bundle all that together. Time (and stress) is money. One deal in particular caught my eye. Sheraton Vistana Resort has a two bedroom, two bath villa for a very reasonable rate. Wait, why would I need two bedrooms? It’s just me and the Mrs., right?
I remembered back to a conversation we had with my mom a few months (maybe more) back. She indicated that it had been years like (30) since had been to Disney World, and if we were willing to take her on our next trip there, she would cover half of the initial cost. I didn’t think much of it at the time, as I had no intention of brining my mom, or anyone else, on mine and my wife’s sacred Disney trip. But times change, and money talks.
Now, how to convince the wife?
Well, with mom paying half, and the Most Magical Celebration coinciding with the holiday season, I figured that would be a triple whammy. I honestly don’t remember the details, or all the back and forth, but the outcome was her on board, and me actually planning a real trip!
The Journey Leading Up To The Journey
Before we get into this trip, let me tell you a bit about my Disney history. I grew up in the LA area, so as a kid, I went to Disneyland about once a year, give or take. I remember loving it at the time, getting all the kid souvenirs, making mom/grandma buy all of the oversized VHS tapes, wearing Mickey shirts almost every day, etc. I even got to be the kid who pulled the Sword from the Stone in Fantasyland once. But as you grow up, sometimes you start to forget. Around age 11, I moved to NorCal, maybe went once again after that, and then kind of grew out of it after that.
Until I met my future wife. We met at work when we were both 26, and we hit it off right away. She told me of her family's absolute love for all things Disney, and the more she told me stories of their Disney family history, the more the memories started to come back to me. Our relationship progressed fast, and within three months of meeting, I suggested a little vacation, and we were on our way to Disneyland for a three-day trip! I'll keep it brief, but between the nostalgia of being a kid at Disneyland and me falling in love with the woman of my dreams, all the Disney magic re-awoke in me, and I was hooked. The first day, I played it cool, but by day two, I was wearing my Mickey ears nonstop, posing for pics at our character breakfast, you name it!
For a then-now comparison, and a bit of fond memory on my part, here's us from our first trip.
Since then, we’ve made it a tradition to go Disney in some capacity every other year, and we’ve honored that tradition until this day.
I’ll never be able to remember them all right now, or be able to list them all here, but here are a few of our memorable experiences at Disney:
1989 - OK, this isn't us, but I just found these. I knew it happened, but I had no proof!
2013 – We went to Disney World this time. My first time there, her second. It was a large family (hers) trip, and while extremely fun, I typically like to vacation with just the two of us, so we are in total control of our time and activities.
2019 – We got in to Club 33! The Mrs. has a client/vendor/business partner (I can never remember which), that has a membership. I don’t know the exact details, but he was able to get us (including my wife’s sister and niece/goddaughter) reservations for lunch. We put on our Sunday finest and had the most luxurious meal I’ve ever had.
Maui in January, so Disney World is a little out of the budget. What do we do? Well, when Disney announced the Taste of Disney event in California Adventure, I was one of the ones in the virtual queue for 4+ hours trying to procure tickets. I figured at least we’ll be at Disney. That should satisfy my thirst, as well as our tradition, right? I got the tickets, and the wife and I headed down and got our taste on Easter.Was it enough?
The short answer is no, it was most definitely not enough. I knew what I was getting into. California Adventure only, no rides, no shows, most restaurants and shops closed, basically just eating, drinking, walking, and shopping. It was fine. I’d say the ticket cost was worth it, but it wasn’t worth the 6 hour drive each way or the two-night hotel cost.
That brings us to the beginning of how the trip this report is based upon got started.
Shortly after I bought my Taste of Disney tickets, it was announced that Disneyland was going to reopen later in April. The wheels in my head were turning, and I was thinking of ways to convince the Mrs. that the Taste wasn't enough, and we needed to plan a real trip. As I said, we had already spent almost two weeks in Maui earlier in the year. We generally don’t even go on a large trip every year, let alone two trips in one year. To top it off, her career field is finance, and while we can certainly afford more trips, she’s very much a saver. Lucky me though, because she keeps the finances in order to the point where we have zero debt except for our mortage payment, a healthy savings, and a very comfortable retirement plan. Amazing woman, right? For that and so much more, but that’s another story for another site
.So here I am, pricing out Disneyland trips for random times this year. I know it’s a very long shot, and I’m likely not going to be able to find that amazing deal that convinces Wifey to let me press that “complete transaction” button. But a guy can hope.
Then, things happened that got my mind wandering in a whole other, much crazier, direction. Disney announces the WDW Most Magical Celebration (50th anniversary) for later in the year. Intriguing. More details trickle out. Castle overlay. Golden statues. Special 50th anniversary merchandise and food. Many restaurants reopening that had been closed during much of the pandemic. Character breakfasts returning. Oh Disney, you got me again. See you soon...
I then start pricing out trips to Disney World. That’s nuts. I’ve only been one time, and that was planned out for me. I don’t know what I’m doing! It’s across the country, which will require plane tickets, and a much longer stay than Disneyland. You can’t do Disney World in three or four days. I’m convinced you need at least 10. When I went in 2013, we were there for two weeks, and I felt like I didn’t get to see and do even half of it. Likely because we were with a large group and you know how that can be, trying to cater to everyone.
So, we’re looking at a $6k or more WDW trip, as opposed to the $2k-ish DL trip that I was originally thinking. We’ve spent less, but we’ve spent much more at DL in our time, so I went around the average. The wife is never going to go for it. But I press on.
I’m mainly looking at booking through Costco. I don’t want to deal with flights, tickets, rental cars, etc., and I like that they bundle all that together. Time (and stress) is money. One deal in particular caught my eye. Sheraton Vistana Resort has a two bedroom, two bath villa for a very reasonable rate. Wait, why would I need two bedrooms? It’s just me and the Mrs., right?
I remembered back to a conversation we had with my mom a few months (maybe more) back. She indicated that it had been years like (30) since had been to Disney World, and if we were willing to take her on our next trip there, she would cover half of the initial cost. I didn’t think much of it at the time, as I had no intention of brining my mom, or anyone else, on mine and my wife’s sacred Disney trip. But times change, and money talks.
Now, how to convince the wife?
Well, with mom paying half, and the Most Magical Celebration coinciding with the holiday season, I figured that would be a triple whammy. I honestly don’t remember the details, or all the back and forth, but the outcome was her on board, and me actually planning a real trip!
Next up: Plans, Itineraries, And Spreadsheets!
Attachments
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I'll try to be better!
Although the itinerary changed a bunch even after it was "finished," it still contains plenty of spoilers for a lot of our vacation activities. Take a peek if you're curious!
. I just posted a short update, and I'm working on the next one, which actually included the trip!
)
Goodnight Disney!
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