Wind rain sleet or snow, its off to Disney we shall go! Jan 30-Feb 6 '10 Trip report

[avic77]

Ok So there wasnt really any sleet or snow but the weather sure did play havoic on our surprise trip to Disney World.
I'm going to try very hard to finish this trip report within the next 2 to 3 weeks because if I drag it out longet then that it wont get done.

So lets start off the some introductions
Im Victoria a 32 yr old stay at home (homeschooling) mother to 3 wonderful kiddos (see there introductions for more infortmation) and a wonderful (but not Disney loving) husband. Im the obsessive planner who wants everything to be perfect after putting so much energy into the planning (be it a Birthday party wedding or vacation). Of course it NEVER goes according to my perfectly laid plan now does it!

DH~ That stands for Dear Husband the Disney Hater. (And no I cant just leave him at home he says he would worry to much if we were safe.)If i had known how much i would love Disney and how much he didnt we might not have married But he's mine now and i have to keep him We have been married nearly 13 yrs and together for nearly 15. Last trip in 2008 he was pretty dang grumpy and his bad atittude ended with him having to take us back. Can he behave this trip? Wait and see.

(Children's names have been changed for safty concerns, Nick names are used in lue of true names)

Envy~ 15 yr old DD. She gets all excited to go but once there she pulls this "I'm not cool to act silly in Disney" attitude She did find out more about the college program while there and is very excited to try for it in a few years. She is wonderful with kids and enjoyed talking to strangers kids while we waited in line.

Missy~ 9 yr old DD She is the one I would take over and over. She gets the magic. She loves all the little things as well as the big things Disney has to offer. If it was just me and her our trips would be perfect.

Buddybear~ 7 yr old DS loves the thrills but doesnt like shopping or shows unless the show has a car blowing up or sword fights. Sometimes he is just the right mixture of me and his daddy other times he is too much like his daddy

Next installment will be how this trip came to be (DH had swore he never wanted to go to Disney again).

 

[avic77]

As i said before my DH is not a Disney lover and his behavior on our last trip caused him to have to promise us another trip.
So this was our "do over". The kids and i were in a minor accident in 2008 and recived a small settlement over the cost of medical bills and car repairs. Just enough fo a Disney trip . So i get my data togather and bring the DH all the info and why we need to go THIS YEAR
DD9 will be to old for child prices next year
The major discounts offered (buy 4 get 3 free)
we just got this money
and it can be a part of Christmas

It worked and DH said fine we can go though not very happily.

So i started planning on the sly. This was going to be a Christmas surprise. Since the kids are homeschooled its rather difficult to plan things without them noticing. But because we are homeschoolers its easier to pick the least crowded times to go

I settled on Feb 6th -13 just before the dreaded Valentine Presidents day and Mardi Gras holiday break, and made my ADR's.

Then just before my 45 day mark i discovered that the week i planned to go was the wrong week. I was working around a Mardi Gras ball that I had to attend and got the date for it wrong. So i emailed the travel agent and asked if she could check availability for the week of Jan 30th -Feb 6th. The crowd calender looked better and it would fit our schedual better.
While she checked that I reworked my plans and made new ADR's. Most everything I wanted had times i wanted or close to times i wanted so I was pretty sure changing weeks would be fine. My Travel agent replied back that Yes she was able to change my reservations and that my final payment would be due the very next week.
So with the final payment made and ADR's set all i had to do was wait to tell the kids. I would sneak on the dis boards and other sites when they were outside or asleep. The wait was killing me. I'm not good at keeping Surprises secret Dh swore the kids were figuring it out as the caught me quite a bit on the Disboards. But I would play it off as just wishful thinking on my part.
Would they figure it out before Christmas? Would they be as excited as I was? Next installment: The Christmas Present!

 

[cmp1111]

Very cool. I'm curious to see if DH behaves. My DH originally came on board just as the "we need to do it once" kind of thing, but luckily he's become a convert.

 

[dydo2424]

Can't wait to hear more!

 

[avic77]

Welcome guys thanks for coming to read.

My DH still isnt hasnt been hit with the Disney magic wand and totally doesnt get why i love Disney World soo much. Our first trip in 2008 he had promised the kids once the youngest was 5 we would go to Disney for that "Once in a Lifetime" vacation. He was soooo grumpy we kind of guilted him into this trip .
Now he knows i want to go again and has said 2013, he needs a break to recover Im planning to work it down to Oct of 2012


Im gonna post "The Christmas Surprise" later today.

 

[PurpleTurtle]

I'm on board. I homeschool my four kids, too, so I'm sure I'll relate to your family ;-) Oh yeah, plus our trips overlapped by a few days! We were there from the 3rd to 11th of this month.

 

[dansamy]

Hi sis!

Did ya'll have a better trip this time? Write it up so I can read it!!

We had a great time for our trip and DH is drinking the kool-aid now! We're going to go back pretty soon, I think!

 

[jordanyosh]

here to read!

 

[dansamy]

Hellooo sis! Waiting....impatiently.....

Maybe I should buy a wand from Ollivander's when Harry Potter opens and see if tapping him with that will give him the fever? Yes? No?

 

[dellasgirl]

z

 

[pea0470]

My husband is kinda like yours - doesn't really like Disney all that much - he will go with me and my son every other year though. But hopefully we will get to go this year for my birthday which leaves this summer for me and my son!!

 

[avic77]

When I left off The kids were busting me on the Dis Boards.
Christmas was looming and I had a trip to plan in secret with the homeschooled kids who cant stay out of my computer area!
I was busy trying to figure out how to spring the surprise Christmas morning when my washer died. Woo hoo i got a new washer but more important a BIG BOX!
After installing the washer we hid the big box in the storage shed for Christmas. Two days before Christmas we bought it inside wrapped it in bright purple paper with a huge silver bow and a sign saying NO PEEKING! It did its job and tormented the kids for those two days. They couldn't figure out what it could be and when asked we answered "its the washing machine box, we got you all a washer for Christmas."
Christmas morning finally arrived and I was off the hook on keeping the secret. I was soo excited. They kids trudge out all sleepy and blurry eyed to start opening gifts. We had opened everything but the BOX when I decided i wanted breakfast .The kids all cryed and complained but helped me get breakfast started. After breakfast we decided it was time to let them open that last present.
When I wrapped the box I left a lift off lid hidden so that on Christmas eve we could fill it with helium balloons and one giant Mickey balloon.
We set the Video Camera and let the kid gather around the box. They did just what i expected and tore the side paper and saw the washing machine picture first. Then they lifted the lid and Mickey bobbed up ( he didnt explode out like i wanted ). All three faces looked in the box confused for a moment until Buddybear noticed a scroll tied to the balloons. Being the one to spot it we let him open it even though he isnt the greatest reader. He tore it open and staired down at it. When we asked what iis it his reply was " A peice of paper!" Missymouse was looking over his shoulder and reading at the same time. When it dawned on her, she squealed with delight, screamed it says "Surprise!!! We're going to Disney", and then she started crying! Even Envy teared upbefore she realized she was too cool to cry over a silly trip to Disney and Buddybear danced a jig of joy ...which was totally priceless.
It was the most magical Christmas i have ever had. The kids and I spent the rest of the day talking about the plans I had made and making our countdown chart.
Dh just grumbled a little but i think he was secretly happy to see how excited the kids were.
Next up On the Road:

 

[dansamy]

Dh just grumbled a little but i think he was secretly happy to see how excited the kids were.

You know he was! He just won't admit it!