Went from No Trips in 2009 to 2 Trips in 6 months!!

[verygfy]

Let me start by saying that I am very disappointed in myself that it took me this long to find this forum. I have been a Disney Nut for over 13 years taking 2 to 3 trips per year and obsessed with planning my trips out and counting down the days until my next trip. Making plans on the way home from the trip we just finished. I thought I was the only one out there and the only person I could confide in was my DH (who also thought I was a little nutty). BUT since I have found DIS I am just obsessed, trying to catch up on all the great (why didn’t I think of that) ideas! With all of that being said this post may be a little long, sorry but this is my first opportunity to finally spill my guts on my happy place with people who understand my passion.

So the planning begins! Well let me back up just a bit, in April DH lost his job due to his company closing and I had decided no Disney this year . So no trips were to be planned. Then in May my mom called saying she was planning a family reunion in Disney in August/ September (she is a DVC owner) and that she wanted me to go and that she was using her points for
the Grand Villa and it would only be a couple of days. After crunching many numbers and gaining some extra money on my second job I decided we could swing some food and tickets. Then miraculously in June DH got a phone call about a job yeah we are back on track, now I can plan. So we decided all we would do this year was spend the couple of days in August/September for the family reunion (hey at least I am getting to go right).

A couple of weeks later DH asked if I could check out what the rates would be if we got our own room since he felt a little uncomfortable sleeping with 10 other people. CAN I, sure I can no problem. After much research and much more number crunching I decided that I would rather not spend the money for a couple of days in August but take that some money and apply it to 5 days at Christmas. We had gone last December after a wedding we had attended and I really wanted to spend a little bit more time there (Christmas in WDW is just too beautiful). DH looked at the numbers and said let’s do both! YIPPEE , I went from no trips this year to 2 trips in 6 months-oh the planning!!

The first trip is August 28-September 1. The plans so far are as follows:

Friday- stay at either ASM or a DTD hotel (Royal Plaza or Hilton)

Saturday- stay again either at ASM or DTD hotel and take DVC tour and Disney Quest.
• Breakfast at hotel
Lunch CS at Poly
• Dinner haven’t decided yet (depends on family plans)

Sunday-check into OKW (booked 2 nights in studio for DH) and off to AKW
• Breakfast at hotel
• Lunch CS at AKW
• Dinner at Chef Mickey’s (with the gang)

Monday- an entire day at MK
• Breakfast at hotel
• Lunch CS at Pinocchio
• Dinner at Whispering Canyon (with the whole family)

The December trip is still a work in progress—managed to book 3 nights in 1 BR at BWV for December 15-Dec. 18 since FIL will be coming along to help take care of the kids and give DH and I a night out!! Still thinking about extending this trip through Sunday (fingers crossed for the free DDP on Monday)

For the December trip though I am looking for something new to do with the family. We have done dinner at Whispering Canyon for Christmas a few years ago and are doing it in August. We did MVMCP last year along with Osbourne lights. This is the first time we will be staying at Boardwalk (another resort checked off) so not sure what kind of events they have during the holidays? I would like to decorate the room for the kids with lights and a mini tree? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

That’s all for today! My to do list is starting to grow longer and longer since work has been taking so much of my time lately; hopefully this week things should slow down and I will start shopping for new outfits for the kids in August and start collecting the items for the December trip. I have to order my DS (11) some pins off of e-bay (did I mention he is a major pin trader, but more of a trader then a collector at this point). I will update this week on all the progress.

 

[verygfy]

Work has been hectic lately, but thankfully things have slowed down enough for me to begin preparations for the August trip. I am so excited about going and seeing my whole family and sharing my love for WDW with them. DH has been on the fence about this trip since it is so short and with WDW raising ticket prices again in this economy he is feeling that we should not go However I forge forward with plans, he has finally opened up to the thought of getting AP’s since he knows there is no stopping me and he feels that might be more economical. However I have decided I am going to buy a 7 day ticket from Undercover Tourist for $454 for both of us and then add the no expiration to the tickets which should be about another $200 so we can use those tickets for this trip, the December trip as well as one in the New Year and then with tax returns we will look into AP’s.

I realized last post I did not introduce the cast, so let me begin:

There is me VeryGfy, 31, mother of 2, living in Atlanta, GA for the last 6 years, but prior to that spent my life in Fort Lauderdale where my love for WDW began. My goal is like many others to stay at each WDW resort so far I have stayed at all of the All Stars and all of the moderates. I am now gradually working my way into the Deluxes. My favorite character is Goofy of course, and my favorite ride is Splash Mountain, just think that is the most adorable ride ever and the drop is great.

Then there is DH, 31, father of 2, loves anything “angry Donald” and loves golf. He is not into the mouse as much as I am, but definitely enjoys his time in the world. His favorite ride is Space Mountain, which is is very much looking forward to the refurb on that (maybe that’s why I am getting the Dec trip as well)

DS, 11, he is hooked on pin trading and the rides. He has been going to WDW since he was 4 years old at least once a year and does not understand why everyone doesn’t do this. This trip he is looking forward to Expedition Everest, but his favorite ride is also Space Mountain.

DD, 2, she has now been to WDW 3 times with her first visit at 2 months old. She loves the Fab 4 and Tinkerbell. DD is currently in the process of potty training so we have created a countdown calendar for her with tinkerbell stickers for every time she uses the potty. This has not been going as well as I had initially thought, but the calendar came out super cute.


I have been spending a large part of this planning picking which hotel to stay at for the first 2 days of our trip. We are coming in late on Friday night and then on Saturday is a relaxation day and the Sunday and Monday it’s all about the parks and the family. So as I was going back and forth between one of the DTD hotels or the values. I knew I didn’t want to spend the money for the moderates since we would be staying only the day there. We stayed at Royal Plaza in June when we were there and I really debated with the pros and cons of this hotel.

The major pro was that the rooms were larger and the bathroom was much bigger than the ones at the values. Also they were running another special with a tower room for the same price as the values. This was one of my favorite features of this hotel, sitting in the room and watching the fireworks from both Wishes and Illuminations. Every night we made sure to be in the room just to watch the shows. The big con with this hotel was the pool. There was nothing wrong with the pool, but it was just kind of boring and definitely not the same as Disney. What was making this decision so tough is that both hotels cost the same amount of money.

I finally decided to go with POP, we have never stayed at POP only the All Stars and since we had stayed at Royal Plaza in June it was time to go back to Disney property. The other factor was that on Sunday I want to be at rope drop for AK and it is so much easier to be on property and all set the night before so we can go straight there. The other factor was 2 of our friends are coming up from Fort Lauderdale to spend the day with us and they have never stayed on property. So I decided to book them an adjoining room and let them experience the magic themselves.

So the hotel plans are:

POP on Friday

POP on Saturday

OKW on Sunday

OKW on Monday

The only thing I am now trying to debate is if I should check into OKW before we go to AK on Sunday or just wait until we finish with the park and then check in??? I asked DH if we could leave the park around noon and check in, but he and DS are so excited about going back to AK that he doesn’t want to leave since we only get 1 day there.

Now with the 2 friends coming up to join us on Saturday what was supposed to be a nothing, wing it kind of day has now turned into me making more plans (no complaints though). So I have decided that we are going to sleep in this morning, and do DTD in the morning, the head back to the hotel for swimming, and naps in the afternoon. Then I thought we might head over to FW to do the campfire program and see the water parade.

I am also excited that I just ordered 15 pins for my DS to trade while we are there 5 per day for $18 TOTAL. I was also able to purchase DD a Minnie plush as well as a Daisy plush for buy 1 get 1 free at the Disney Store. I am in the process of preparing goody bags for each day of the trip for the kids; I am not completely sure of everything I will be giving them so any tips on goody bags would be greatly appreciated!!

I have been lurking around the boards and picking up many great tips. One tip that I am the most excited about is the waking of Tinkerbell, just nervous that we won’t get there fast enough to get DD the chance to experience this. If anyone has been successful at this I would love to hear from you.

Up next the touring, the packing, and the binder…