We're NOT Going to Kansas... We're Going to Disney World! Updated 9/5, Day 2 PICS!!

[Duffy Lover]

Welcome! This is my first disboards trip report, so hopefully I can have some fun and relive what was a wonderful trip. This trip was born in the days following our March 2011 trip (it seems like the best time to plan the next trip – while in the throes of post-Disney depression), and I decided it was to be a surprise. Our 2011 trip was courtesy of my wonderful parents, who have been married for 40 years! (My Mom is Pirate Granny here on the boards)

This is me with my girls at the Dessert Party

And this trip was going to be something for just my girls, myself, my little sister (the unmarried one) and my parents. Our last trip was amazing, everyone on this trip was there as was my sister and her family. We had an amazing time, but I was craving a trip where we only had to worry about one set of kiddos… Here’s a pic from our 2011 trip:

For that trip we stayed in a grand villa at OKW, on rented points, and after that trip my parents bought into DVC at both OKW and BCV. Lucky girl that I am, my parents put my sisters and I on the contracts and we are all technically DVC owners now too!

It was decided that we would go on the break between my graduate classes, which put us going to WDW from Saturday June 16th through Sunday the 24th. We had originally planned on staying at AoA for our first night and then transfer over to OKW, but after seeing that it was going to be $400 for one night at AoA, my Mom offered to use more of the DVC points on one night at BLT. I also decided NOT to tell my girls we were going and surprise them the morning of our departure…
Our cast for this trip is my two darling daughters “E” who is five

and “C” who was almost three

my parents

and my sister Brie

My DH didn’t join us on this trip, as he is not a super fan of Disney and he wanted to save his vacation time for this upcoming Christmas. But here’s a pic of him since he tolerates my Disney obsession so well…

If you would more specific details on this trip, feel free to check out my pre-trip report I wrote on the DVC trip report board:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2938547

I’m looking forward to making some new Disney loving friends…

Chapters:

Day 1: Surprise, Chef Mickey's and Lots of fun!

Day 2

 

[Duffy Lover]

We woke the girls up around 6:15am, and they slowly came to life. Once they were wide awake, I gave them their new “surprise” toys and books for the plane. They were thrilled with the new game for their leappad, the “magic pen” coloring books and the Snow White and Prince Barbies; so much so that they almost didn’t hear me as I delivered the best surprise: we weren’t going to Kansas, but to Disney World!!! (Click on these next two pics - they are links to videos... The first is kind of long, but still cute...)





They both sat in shock for a minute or two and then I got them all excited with questions and exclamations of my excitement. They were thrilled they were going to Disney, not Kansas (not that there is anything wrong Kansas, I just had to pick a random place to tell them we were going somewhere)!

We quickly got to the airport, had a rushed breakfast and the girls and I said goodbye to DH as we got on the plane. The girls were so well behaved for the flight and the new toys and snacks kept them occupied for the entire four hours. When we arrived at MCO, my sister was waiting for us outside of security!!

The girls were so excited to see her. We walked right onto the Magic Express, which left promptly, but sadly did not play the welcome video – go figure. My sister and I almost mutinied! After just one stop we arrived at the Contemporary (or the Temporary as C calls it) with my parents waiting for our motor coach.

After checking out our room, a two bedroom, theme park view BLT villa,

we went right down to the pool. It was a spectacular day; hardly a cloud in sight and the girls had a blast playing with their family in the pool

The slide was amazing! After spending an hour and a half at the pool we cleaned up and headed to Chef Mickey’s. Dinner was pretty good and the character interaction was a riot!

Goofy tried to steal my youngest DD, he literally tried to walk away with her until she started freaking out.

After dinner we rode the monorail around to the Poly

went to the beach and then took the boat to MK and then took the monorail “home” to BLT

We got the girls into their jammies and settled in to watch the Water Pagent, the Castle show and then Wishes on one of our Balconies. It was a magical night!

After putting the girls down to sleep, my Mom and my sister and I went up to the TotWL to have a drink, then called it a night.

I have to say the first day is always the best no matter what. The girls were in awe/shock and on their best behavior despite the long day. I loved how happy we all were and how great the weather was. It was so wonderful to stay at BLT, even if only for one night. I adored sitting and watching all there was to see with a theme park view with my family whom I hadn’t seen since Christmas. Could it get any better?

 

[ShortStuff]

Your girls are adorable!! What an awesome surprise!! Can't wait to read more about your adventures!

We leave on September 14 for our stay in a 2 bedroom savannah view at AKVK. Can't wait!!

 

[BellaBaby]

A fellow Coloradoan subbing!!

Sounds like an awesome first day!! It is so magical when the kids are that age!
You are so lucky to be DVC owners!!

Looking forward to more!!

 

[Along4theRide]

Great start, can't wait to hear more!! You have a sweet family and I'm loving all the pics!

 

[Duffy Lover]

Your girls are adorable!! What an awesome surprise!! Can't wait to read more about your adventures!

We leave on September 14 for our stay in a 2 bedroom savannah view at AKVK. Can't wait!!

Welcome! How exciting that you'll be in the happiest place on Earth in just over a week! AKV sounds just lovely, especially on the Savannah! Oh, and I also think my girls are adorable...

A fellow Coloradoan subbing!!

Sounds like an awesome first day!! It is so magical when the kids are that age!
You are so lucky to be DVC owners!!

Yea! A "neighbor"! Colorado is amazing, how long have you been living her? I'm going on nine years now... I can't agree more about that magical age... We're going again when the girls are 7 and 4, and I think that will probably be the most magical trip we'll ever take...

Great start, can't wait to hear more!! You have a sweet family and I'm loving all the pics!

Thanks, I think they are pretty sweet too! More is on the way...

Anyways, does anyone have ideas on how to set up the trip report? Like font size or number of pics vs text?

Thanks!

 

[BellaBaby]

I've been here 17 years, originally from the Chicago area. I met my DH here and we are celebrating our 13 yr anniversary today! We used to go every 2 yrs and then we decided why not every year?! My DH jokes about us taking once in a lifetime trips every year...but I do always watch the budget! It's just so much fun and seeing it through the kids eyes is just the icing on the cake!

 

[scholastica]

Excited to hear about the rest of the trip! Your daughters are adorable by the way!

 

[Duffy Lover]

Excited to hear about the rest of the trip! Your daughters are adorable by the way!

Welcome! Trip reports seem to be fun for everyone...

I've been here 17 years, originally from the Chicago area. I met my DH here and we are celebrating our 13 yr anniversary today! We used to go every 2 yrs and then we decided why not every year?! My DH jokes about us taking once in a lifetime trips every year...but I do always watch the budget! It's just so much fun and seeing it through the kids eyes is just the icing on the cake!

Wow, congrats on your anniversary! You're pretty lucky to be able to go once a year! I've been almost that lucky, but I don't have any trips planned for 2013...

More on the way folks!

 

[Duffy Lover]

Day 2 June 17th

We let the girls sleep in and we were packed and ready to go by 10am. It was wonderful to stay at BLT and I would love to stay there again. The weather was amazing again, not too hot and not too humid. We walked to the MK (love that) where my Dad took our passes and went to get FP’s for BTMRR. In the mean time we stopped to watch the trolley show

The girls and I listen to this song fairly often in the car in the mornings to get us in a good mood, so it was really nice to have a front row seat to see this great little act.

We then hustled over to Dumbo and waited about 20 minutes before we took our flight.

After that the girls went on the Tea Cups with my sister and then my oldest DD wanted to drive a car.

While she and my sis did that my Dad and I took my little one to the Carrousel.

Afterwards we all met up (my Mom had gone to OKW to check us in) and all but my Mom and my little one went on BTMRR. E, didn’t really like it this time, so we saved the baby passes for later.

At this point we had lunch at Pecos Bill’s (a really uninspired chicken wrap – far too large) and then we made our way to the Barber shop for C’s first haircut. It was so cute! I had never been to the Harmony BS, and I was surprised how tiny it was. Since we had made an appointment Clara went to the front of the short line. A few stickers, a spinning light up Minnie, and C had her first cut finished! She got an adorable Mickey ear set with “First Haircut” on it – which she insisted on wearing for most of the afternoon, a certificate and I got a satchel with locks of her hair in it.

We really needed a break so we went back to BLT for swim time. It was just as great today and the girls really enjoyed the pool party as well as the zero entry. That is one of the things I wish OKW had, and I can’t fathom why they didn’t create that when the pool was refurbished a couple of years ago. After swimming we got the girls dressed in their Ariel costumes to go to dinner at CRT.

Dinner at CRT was good and we were at the second table that all the princesses visited. The girls were so adorable in their dresses meeting the princesses!

After dinner (which took FOREVER) my parents used our Baby Swap pass from earlier to ride BTMRR while my sis and I took the girls to fly on the magic carpets. After that we met up with my parents at the “yucky pirate ride”. My youngest calls all pirates “yucky” ever since she saw a part of the PoTC movie where the pirates turn into skeletons. She hid her head in my shoulder for the whole first part of the ride (before the slide) but she love the rest. At this point we finally headed over to OKW, and called it a night.

 

[BellaBaby]

The girls are so cute in their ariel dresses! I love the pic of C "holding" Tink!

Actually every year, I don't think we'll be able to go, but somehow we've been able to pull it off. In 2011, we drove to california since it was cheaper and we had a ball at Disneyland!!

So 2013 is up in the air at this point, but I've got my fingers crossed!

In the meantime, trip reports will have to do--and they are fun to read!!

 

[Pirate Granny]

Good work Duffy lover....