WHOSE Luckier than me?! The January TR!&March PTR!**LINK TO NEW TR IS UP!!**

[mickeysmyboy]

Chapter 1, The Welcome!
Hello! Is anyone out there? Anyone want to join in for the AMAZING, STUPENDOUS ride?

Hmm... where to start?! Not sure. This may get confusing!

Prehaps a little background first!

We are indeed taking 2 upcoming trips! One January 2nd - 10th 2009 and another March 24 - 28th 2009.

These trips are going to be a little different then our previous 3 trips. Our previous trips have always included MIL and FIL and twice have included SIL and her DH. This time they won't. It will be a bit weird to be in WDW without them. But, we'll get over it quickly I'm sure.

Our trip in January will include our family of 5


us with the love of my life (no not DH silly, I mean Mickey!)


my beautiful kids

and my sisters family of 5!

Our trip in March will include 2 people. Yes, you read that right 2 people! DH and I! All alone!! Yes, I know we maybe the meanest parent in the entire world! But, I'll get over it, really I will!

So, as you can imagine there been a lot to plan! I'm going to take a break for now and we'll get to that in a bit...

 

[mickeysmyboy]

Chapter 2 part 1 Getting to know us

DH and I both went to WDW as kids.

My 2 sisters and I went with our Mom when I was 11. My mom saved long and hard to take us. My dad stayed home, he doesn't do crowds, lines, strange people etc. We stayed somewhere offsite. It was a tall roundish hotel. We could see a little go-cart race track from our window. What hotel it was and where it was I have no idea. We spent 2 days in MK, 2 days in Epcot, a day at Sea World, a day at Kennedy Space Center (my special request) and an off day. I have memories of being scared to death on Mr Toad strange I know, but I didn't like the whipping around, riding 20,000 leagues, and riding the skyway. We also came home with a suprise! It turned out that the girl my sister had made friends with at the pool that my mom thought had bad acne really had the chicken pox! Within in a week of getting home all three of us, my sisters and myself, had them! That was a souveinar we could have done without!

DH went with his parents and sister when he was 12. He repeatedly tells me the same story (he does that all the time) abotu SIL being so mad at FIL for telling her that BTMRR was "a little train ride" that she cried and wouldn't speak to him the rest of the day. The stayed in a hotel offsite as well.

I've been in love with Mickey all my life, as long as I can remember. My sister tells a story about my Grandmother taking the tags off of a pair of sandal in a 5 and 10 so I could have the Mickey tag. I went to college with a boat load of Mickey stuff. Including a pillow I slept with every night my freshman year and a pad of paper. The paper was used to write my phone number on the night I met DH.

Fast forward to 1999 DH and I, college sweethearts, were getting married! I suggested we go to WDW on our Honeymoon. The response I got was "why in the world would I want to go to WDW on my honeymoon?!" Ho hummmm!

Fast forward again to 2004 we were in the middle of building our home and it was taking awhile. We, myself, DH, DD and DS, were living with MIL and FIL. I needed a vacation! I suggested that because the house was taking longer then expected and DD couldn't have her 3rd birthday there as promised that we go to WDW for a few days. DH thought I was crazy! Ok, I am, but I needed a break! But, no wdw again.

A few months later, after we'd finally moved in to our new home, MIL told us that for her 60th b-day she would like the family to go to WDW together in March 05!

Woooooo hooooooo!

I was finally going to get my wish of a trip to WDW!!!

 

[Alysa]

Adorable kids!
Cute report so far, can't wait to read more!

 

[aspcamhreditor2]

Wow ... three trips in under 13 months? You rock! Good for you. Am jealous of your trip WITHOUT your kids. I've always wanted to do that, but, while my husband tolerates my WDW OCD & has enjoyed our time there & has even appreciated my planning/OCD, he's not really THAT into it.

Looking forward to checking in from time to time.

 

[mickeysmyboy]

Adorable kids!
Cute report so far, can't wait to read more!

Awww thanks!

Wow ... three trips in under 13 months? You rock! Good for you. Am jealous of your trip WITHOUT your kids. I've always wanted to do that, but, while my husband tolerates my WDW OCD & has enjoyed our time there & has even appreciated my planning/OCD, he's not really THAT into it.

Looking forward to checking in from time to time.

I can't even believe it myself! I never thought DH would go for 3 trips in such a short amount of time! He pretends not to be that into it. But, I think he really is. Our last trip he commented "this place rocks!" at one point. he'll talk disney with people other then me given even the slightest chance and I can see the excitement in him when a disney show is on the travel channel etc!

 

[FairyGodmotherJen]

I'm trying to convince DH that an adults-only trip to Disney would be perfect for my 40th birthday. Of course, I've got five years to sell him on it, but it might just take that long!! He loves Disney - he just can't imagine it without our kids right now.

You are super lucky - I'll be living through you for a while!! Waiting to read more...

 

[mickeysmyboy]

He he! It's been a loonnggg time since I updated. I was actually thinking that today! Hopefully tomorrow...

 

[mickeysmyboy]

I'm trying to convince DH that an adults-only trip to Disney would be perfect for my 40th birthday. Of course, I've got five years to sell him on it, but it might just take that long!! He loves Disney - he just can't imagine it without our kids right now.

You are super lucky - I'll be living through you for a while!! Waiting to read more...

I'm soooo excited about our trip! I have pangs guilt ever now and then, but we really need a grownup get away!! When I booked the trip my travel agent told me that going along is a completely different, wonderful experience and that after we go alone once we'll want to do it again!!

I was thinking today that a lot has happened since the last time I updated! Things kind of got crazy and it was much easier to read then write! Tomorrow at the little guys nap time, I promise!!!!

 

[mickeysmyboy]

Here's somemore background with more to come...


So off to WDW we went! We drove from the Eastern end of Long Island, NY to VA to take the auto train. Well, to be more exact I drove with a minivan full of passengers, DH the 2 kids and MIL and FIL. I drove in a terrible ice and snow storm! We left a day early so we could take our time getting to VA for our scheduled train. We made over the Delaware Memorial Bridge and found a hotel. I swear I didn’t think we’d make it over the bridge. It was a solid sheet of ice!! I’ve never, ever been that scared driving! But we made it! The next day we drove to short distant to the train.

Taking the train was fun! I don’ know that I’d do it again but it was a fun one time experience. DH, myself and the 2 kids had a “family room” which gave us enough room to move around a bit and MIL and FIL had another smaller room. The kids slept like babies on the overnight trip but it’s hard for grownups to sleep. The next morning as we ate breakfast we rode through citrus field with burn bowls lit because it was cold old. That was a cool sight!

Our car was one of the first off the train and we were off to WDW.

We made it to AKL quickly from Sanford and checked in. We really enjoyed our trip! We enjoyed sooooo many things! DD celebrated her 4th birthday (which was a few days after we got home)with breakfast with the princess! We made A LOT of rookie mistakes but had a blast! The trip went by way to fast! I was hooked and so were the kids!
I wish I had pictures to share but at that point I was between digital cameras and was using a film camera. All the good pictures are in my scrapbook!

I went home longing for more and dreaming of Disney magic.

That summer, I donned my favorite WDW tee and DH and I took the kids to dinner at TGI Fridays and I approached the subject of going back to WDW. DH was much more willing to go then I thought! He tends to be a lot more frugal then me! I also suggested that we take his parents along since we had so much fun with them the last time! MIL and FIL were very happy to be invited and took us up on the offer without hesitation.

We decided on October 06 for Halloween and DS ‘s 4th birthday! The planning began! We decided without , any hesitation that we’d stay at WL. I made the reservation 1 year out. I just couldn’t wait! It was October 2005 and 2006 rates were out so why wait? Along the way lots of good stuff happened. DH became business partners with FIL and started working from home, I quit my job and became a stay at home mom and DH and I decided to have a 3rd mouseketeer! Funny thing about having the new mouseketeer, we decided that the only month we wouldn’t “try” for him was September. We thought it might not be that great of a trip that newly pregnant. Well the beginning of October I wasn’t feeling so good. Sure enough, the little one was on the way!

I made it through the trip with flying colors! Not one pregnancy related setback!

We had a magical trip!

We really enjoyed our stay at WL,


MNSSHP was fabulous!


DH is still talking about it!


And DS had a fabulous 4th b-day celebration!

But, once again the trip ended much too soon and I left wanting MORE, MORE, MORE!!

 

[mickeysmyboy]

Luckily this time I had something’s to keep me occupied, with a new baby on the way!

The little one was born May 30th 07 and had a bit of a rough start in life. Luckily, with good medical care and a lot of TLC from a lot of caring people he pulled through with flying colors!

In the spring of 07 DH, who sails competitively, qualified to sail in the Sunfish World Championships. It meant a week away from home at the end of August 07. I was very, very proud of him and couldn’t say no. I was a little apprehensive to be without him for a week with a 6 year old, 4 year old and 2 month old. But we managed fine! I told him (he, he) that if he got to go away for a week alone and leave me with the kids we were going to go away in the spring of 08 when I thought the baby would be better able to travel.

WDW here we come! DH is the one who said WDW, I figured he’d tell me no. He is also the one that said Monorail resort! I was blissfully happy!!!!!! When I told MIL and FIL that we were going again MIL said that she had discussed going again with SIL and we made a plan for the whole family to go together! Originally, we were booked into Poly. But, right after Christmas 07 we got a letter in the mail saying that the volcano pool at poly would be closed during our stay. We decided that we’d switch resorts because the kids love to go in the pool!! We thought about WL but DH mentioned GF. You don’t have to say that twice to me! The switch was made and the trip paid off at the same time! And we were off to GF!!!

Here’s a link to my TR from the March 08 trip!

 

[mickeysmyboy]

So……

Finally getting into these to amazing, stupendous upcoming trips!

Chapter 3 the plans begin!

Even before our trip in March of this year DH and I had discussed taking my sister and her family with us in the near future. I love my sisters kids like my own and they’ve never been to WDW! So I talked to my sister and we agreed on January 09. After returning from our March, with some fun souvenirs in hand for my nieces and nephew, my sister, her DH and their 3 kids arrived at my house for the big surprise to be revealed! The kids were super excited!

I booked rooms only, through my wonderful travel agent, so I was sure to get 2 trundle bed rooms at POR. Once rates were released my travel agent changed everything to a package with deluxe dining! Yippeee!!!!

DH and I were also in discussions about our upcoming 10th wedding anniversary. We knew we needed to get away. Without kids. We discussed returning to beautiful St. Lucia where we had spent out honeymoon. But we only wanted to go away for 3 or 4 days so that seemed too far. We discussed the Bahamas. But DH really only wanted to fly out of our smaller, localish airport. Not JFK and definitely not LaGuardia. So that limited our direct flights to anywhere we’d actually want to go. Southwest flies direct from our airport to Orlando! I didn’t get to go on the Keys to the Kingdom tour in March because the boys were sick and we thought this would be the perfect opportunity!

I told DH that if we were going to WDW for our anniversary we were going to stay at Poly in an MK view room!

Another email to the travel agent and the 2nd trip was set!

July came and it was time to make our ADR’s for our January trip! I made a bunch that I thought my sister and her family would really enjoy. Chef Mickey’s, Ohana, Whispering Canyons, 50’s Primetime etc,etc.

Now it was time to wait. I hate to wait! I’m a patient person. I’ve been told I have the patience of a saint. But when it comes to a trip, or 2, to WDW it’s very, very hard for me!!

Southwest release the fares for our January trip and I really, really, really wanted to buy the tickets! It’s one more thing done, one step closer to stepping foot onto WDW. But there was some question as to whether my BIL would be able to go. I wasn’t going to pay for a ticket if we weren’t going to use it.

So I tried, sooooooooo hard, to be patient and not bug my sister. She had enough on her plate, enough to worry about, without me bugging her.

To make a very long, painful, terrible story short my sister and her family aren’t able to go with us this time. My nieces and nephew are not too happy about that. Especially my 13 year old niece. But, I promised we’d wait a year and take them in Jan 10.

DH and I disguised, at length, the situation and what to do. We decided it wasn’t fair to our kids to cancel our portion of the trip. It wasn’t their fault and there was no reason we couldn’t go.

We also decided that we didn’t need to go for 8 nights as we were with my sister and if we were changing we might as well change to WL!! We also decided that since we enjoyed club level \at GF so much we’d go for that as well. Not to mention we were saving a ton of money without 5 people on the trip. So, I emailed the travel agent again and changed our entire trip! Cancelling my sisters ressie, changing our from POR for 8 nights to WL CL for 6 nights, January 3rd – 9th 09, with dining.

Phew! It’s a good thing for a really good travel agent!

Next up, switching our ADR’s! Ugh!! Will I get anything or will we eat CS for 6 days…

 

[Pryncesa]

Hi. Just caught up on your PTR. It's a shame your sister's family won't be able to go along this time. But, you must be so excited for your upcoming trips!

Here's hoping you get all of your ADRs switched with no problems.

 

[mickeysmyboy]

Hi. Just caught up on your PTR. It's a shame your sister's family won't be able to go along this time. But, you must be so excited for your upcoming trips!

Here's hoping you get all of your ADRs switched with no problems.

We are a bit sad, but VERY excited! I'm not sure if I should be more excited about January or March!

 

[mickeysmyboy]

my pretrippie and I are getting a little lonely!! I have a few readers....

 

[mickeysmyboy]

After I got the confirmation from the travel agent that the reservation for my sister was cancelled and ours completely modified I called Disney dining.

I got through right away and got a very nice woman on the phone. I cancelled alllllllll of our old reservations. That made me kinda sad. I was really looking forward to seeing my nieces and nephew see WDW for the 1st time.

Then I held my breath and told her I wanted to make a whole new set of ADR’s and began to read down my well planned list. The only modification I ended up having to make was flip flopping the days I wanted to eat at Chef Mickey’s and Tony’s! I even got the times, approx, I wanted. Including our Chef Mickey ADR being at 5:05 so we have time to eat and head back to MK for Spectromagic! So here they are;

Saturday, January 3rd 6pm whispering canyons
Sunday, January 4th 5:10 pm tony’s town square
Monday, January 5th 2:35 pm 50’s primetime café
Tuesday, January 6th 6 pm Planet hollywood dinner
Wednesday, January 7th 6:05 pm Akershus
Thursday, January 8th 5:05 chef mickey
Friday, January 9th 8:20 am Breakfast Crystal palace

A little side note to our ADR’s; I know a lot of people really don’t care for Tony’s. We’ve been there twice and had good experience both times. The last time we went I got so sort of Eggplant Rolletini or Parm (can’t remember which or what exactly) that was very, very good. DH will not, under any circumstances, eat eggplant. So being able to get it at WDW made me very happy! I love eggplant! Also, I made the Planet Hollywood ADR with the intention of hopefully being able to change it. DS5 realllllllllly wants to go to TRex Café. Disney dining isn’t, nor will they ever be according to the CM I spoke to, taking ADR’s for TRex. She told me to look on their website and see if I could find any info there. All I could find was info on their Kansas City location. So I’m going to wait until they open next month and call then. If they won’t take a reservation (someone told me they may not take reservations at all) we’ll head to DTD early and see if we can get in and call the dining line and cancel our Planet Hollywood reservation so they aren’t waiting for us to show up. Not the best laid plan but if we can get in for DS we will!

After the ADR’s were secured and I was very much relieved to finally book our airfare!!

We are officially booked on an 11:35 am flight to MCO that should land around 2:25 on 1/3. Figuring we have to collect our luggage (we fly Southwest) and head to ME I’m hoping to be checking into WL by 4:30ish. I'm hoping to get settled a bit, as much as we can without luggage. Then head down for our ADR at Whispering Canyons. After dinner we’ll watch some tv and go to sleep! I'm also most likely going to order groceries from Garden Grocer, so we'll wait for that to arrive. DS will be 19 months at the time and most likely still like to have milk before bed. Not to mention all of the baby needs and some bottled water.

Up next;

Counting down!


Still to come;

I have too much free time on my hands & Our plan of attack

 

[FairyGodmotherJen]

Your ADRs sound great. I'd love to try January! I'd love to go to WDW and not be exhaustingly hot! The thought of maybe having to take a sweatshirt with me sounds great. Being a teacher, it'll be difficult. DSIL and I thought we'd go right after New Years when we go back in 2010, but the holidays are closer to the end of the week, so we won't have the extra time off after New Years that year. Oh, well, I'll take going in June over not going at all!

You got some great sounding stuff. I'd like to hear what T-Rex is like. I don't even know much about the premise. Looking forward to reading more!

 

[mickeysmyboy]

Your ADRs sound great. I'd love to try January! I'd love to go to WDW and not be exhaustingly hot! The thought of maybe having to take a sweatshirt with me sounds great. Being a teacher, it'll be difficult. DSIL and I thought we'd go right after New Years when we go back in 2010, but the holidays are closer to the end of the week, so we won't have the extra time off after New Years that year. Oh, well, I'll take going in June over not going at all!

You got some great sounding stuff. I'd like to hear what T-Rex is like. I don't even know much about the premise. Looking forward to reading more!

I'm not at all a hot weather person. I used to think how great it would be to go in Sept for free dining. I just know that I couldn't take the heat. Once it gets much over 85 I'm literally toast. DD is the same way!

Our last day in March was 92 degrees mid-day and I couldn't wait to get the heck out of there!!!

BTW, YIPPPEEEEEE I made it to 2 pages!!!!

 

[mickeysmyboy]

I must be boring.......

 

[mickeysmyboy]

Now with our ADR's, airline etc, etc blah, blah, blah ..... all set I can now begin to form at least some sort of plan! The wheels in my head start turn, What is that smell?! Smells like somethings burning!?!?! Someone call the fire department! OHHHHH nevermind!! It's just the smell of my brain roasting cause I'm over thinking things again. Something I have tendency to do when planning anything. Whether it be a trip to WDW, a kids birthday party etc

I can't do timeline, park comando thing. DH would never have it and my kids burn out way to easy. So a rough idea is best! Here goes;!

Day 1, Saturday, Jan 3rd, is in my last post so on to day 2!


Day 2, Sunday, January 4th, We’ll eat breakfast at WL and head for MK. Hopefully we’ll leave WL by around 8 am. MK opens at 9. DH probably won’t be all to amused with getting to the park before it opens but we have somewhere we need to be ASAP! Harmony Barbershop is singing to me all the way from Florida that DS1 needs his very first haircut and they will be the ones to do it!!

So help me there is NO WAY, I’m leaving FL without Ryan having his first haircut there!!! Way back in 05 my older DS, Johnny, really could have used his first haircut when we visited WDW but I didn’t know about Harmony Barbershop!!! Terrible!!

After that we’ll head off to our first WDW adventures of 2009!! DD will get to pick which ride is first. The kids have made a little tradition of taking turns picking the first ride. This trip will be her turn! She’s going back and forth between HM and going to Toontown to met Tink! She tends to be a bit of a chicken so I don’t know that she’ll actually go on HM. We’ll see!

Then we’ll see where the flow takes us! I’d like to get in Mickey’s PhilHarMagic, it’s my very bestest, most favorite thing in all of the magical world of WDW!! We’ll most likely have lunch at Cosmic Rays and we have a 5:10 pm ADR @ Tony’s Town Square, Wishes is at 8 and MK has EMH until midnight. We will not, I promise, stay until midnight! Although DH may try to make us stay a little later. I learned last trip that keeping my boy (DS Johnny) up too late makes for a tired boy. When he gets tired he gets sick very easily! I don’t want to have to have another Dr visit us in our room again this trip!!!!!

Day 3, Monday, January 5th, We’ll head to DHS! This is my least favorite park but there are a few things we must do!! The park opens at 9 so I hope to have a quick, light breakfast at WL and be on the bus at 8.

We'll join the mass of people and dart to TSM! I can’t wait to try this one!! DS Johnny and I have this funny little teasing competition going on about this!! Everytime we talk about it he says, “Hey Mommy, I’m gonna beat you!” and I say “no way, I’m gonna beat you!” and we go back and forth!! I can guarantee he’ll beat me! Even if I don’t “let” him win!

We also need to see Star Tours and the Indiana Stunt Spectacular! This is kind of a day for DS, he loves Star Wars and Indy!

Baby DS, Ryan, loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, so we have to see Playhouse Disney We have a late lunch ADR for 2:35 @ 50’s primetime café. We did this in 06 and really enjoyed it! I love to see the waitress give DH a hard time!! We’ll most likely stay the rest of the day and see Fantasmic at 6:30 and the head out! Back to WL for sleep!

Coming soon; More of the Condon Family Attacking the world!

 

[Khalana]

Hi Melissa,
I wanted to check out your TR too, and it's great!! I LOVE the outfits you guys wore!! And I'm SO envious that you get to take a trip by yourselves too. I would totally love to do that with DH. *sigh* Maybe someday. I look forward to reading more!