"WISH strong enough & BELIEVE hard enough....

[CupidsKiss]

"And so the story is told to children of all ages that if you wish hard enough and believe strong enough, Tinker Bell may appear to fly high above Cinderella Castle and light the Magic Kingdom's Fantasy in the Sky!" - Narrator, Fantasy in the Sky​

Hmmm... TLC A&E has a new series “Obsessed” that gives to insight to its audience how obsession can affect a persons life.
Call it Dis-Board guilt syndrome but a camera crew showed up in my dreams last night and my DH opened the show by detailing my compulsion to trip plan. Thanks Honey.

I blame the dream on the fact that after a eight months of preparation, sharing details& questioning my DH turns to me at 47 days out and says “So how long are we going for and what different at this Disney?”
(Insert jaw drop and consequential eye rolling).

This trip somehow evolved from what started as a Mexican vacation. DH beat cancer last year and I wanted a chance to get away and celebrate. Here lies the problem; like many of you Dis-ers I do not REALLY know how to sit and do nothing on a vacation. Our last three major trips have been to Disneyland as we are on the far west coast. All inclusive Mexico was being offered at reasonable prices but then did the pools have waterslides? My focus turned to Paradise Island in the Bahamas. Now there’s a water resort. But why fly those extra miles when there is a couple of fabulous water parks at Disneyworld. And so my planning went into overdrive.

I shared my tentative ideas with DH, 49 and DD 10. I now know it was only one sided sharing on the husband part of that exchange. I mentioned in conversation to my DD-IL , Jenn, my plans knowing she would feel my joy as they were planning DW in 2010. DS and DD-IL are our families biggest Disney fanatics so as the chips fall we could not take this trip without including them. Our party expands to five.

Hurray at least now I have an equally obsessed planner in my DD-IL.
Let the pre-occupation begin!

 

[got_ron]

HI DI!!

My name is Jenn and I am also a Dis-aholic! Since I'm part of this trip I suppose I will write a little something about myself.

I used to watch Disney movies everyday when I was little. I knew every song, and still have them on my IPOD I was always promised that we would go to the parks as a child but when I finally turned 16, I gave up the hope that I would be going to those magical places. Thats when my dad met his new wife. She has little kids of her own, so guess what? I was finally able to go Disneyland. I loved every second of it. I went again with my MIL, FIL and SIL in 2008 and yet this trip was better then the last!

After this last trip my DBF, BJ and I decided we needed to tackle the WORLD!!! So we decided to save and take the trip of a lifetime in September 2010!!Then my MIL phoned and said that they were going to WDW in Sept 2009.... WHAT... WHAT!!! You can't go before us!!!! So that's how BJ and I decided to go to WDW, jealousy!

 

[CupidsKiss]

 

[CupidsKiss]

Goodness this is a magical place….more than one Halloween!

We are the biggest fans of Halloween. We build a haunt for charity and of course our own fun. Imagine our pleasure in finding out there are numerous Halloweens in the form of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. That alone singled out what time of the year we would be visiting the Kingdom.

I spent weeks crunching the numbers via many websites. Which airline? Should we rent a condo for oh so many dollars cheaper? But Jenn reminded me that there is nothing like staying in a Disney property. The sheer ambiance. The sights , the smells the proximity to paradise. The only thing is we wouldn’t be affording a concierge level trip this time. Hmmm it’ll be like having sparkling apple juice once you’ve tasted Dom.

We decided that on the heels of our last trip we would have to stay Value and after reading many reviews and listening to Dis-er opinions we chose a couple of rooms at the Pop Century in September .That would give us enough time upon our return to pour our efforts into Halloween here.

I became of daily visitor to Fare Compare and snapped up $99 seats Seattle to MCO via the
Air Tran website. Flying from the island was just not an option at $500 more per person.
So at least we would have a pre-mini driving trip to boot.

Things just kept getting better as we read of past Septembers when the Disney Dining Plan was offered “free”. We booked and waited with baited breathe for this awesome deal to be offered again. DH’s ears did pick up some tidbit about free and agreed to keep hoarding the Loonies and Twoonies until the golden day that the trip would be paid off.

We, and by the we, I mean Jenn and I filled the days by designing autograph books and then having them published, “Cricut-ing” mousekeepking envelopes,
Designing family t-shirts and pouring over spreadsheets that Jenn developed to keep track of ADR’s, shows and what parks on what days. Oh pathetic I know but as I right this there are dis-ers right now thinking “been there...doing that..”


So as the planets aligned the Canadian Dollar climbed to .90 and we paid off our balance at the 60 day mark. Now we sit watching that blessed little countdown clock on my computer, perusing food porn and living the dream vicariously through others completed trip reports.

30 days and break out the suitcases!

 

[CupidsKiss]

So let me formally introduce my Dis-entourage

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First my DS 20 -BJ. As big as Beast . A definite prince with not a mean bone in his body. Don't know how he turned out so great must have had a great fairy godmother!

At his side D(future)D-inlaw Jennifer 22. A princess in her own right who marches to her own drum. Such a Disney efficiando that it is a given that she will win at Disney Trivial Pursuit.

The smallest of our Dis-entourage is DD-11 Paige. With a wistful *sigh* I relent that my once frou frou princess would much rather fight pirates these days . I embrace those occasional days when her formal majesty shines through without me coaxing her into a dress.

Then there is myself; Hi I am Diana 43. I never fancied myself a princess although the clothes and bling I am sure would rock! I can most certainly relate to Tinkerbell; a little spoiled, good sense of humour but an attitide that can change on a dime...OK let's just call them mood swings

And last but not least the reason we are taking this trip DH Don 50. He is our Sulley . My big hero, a blue collar worker to the bone who on top of that is a loving caretaker to his family. His jokes however are not worthy a laugh factory. On DH birthday last June he was diagnosed with cancer. The year was a tough one but he is now declared to be 95 % cancer free (as high as the doctor will proclaim). So that is why this trip came about. The Disney commercials question "What will you celebrate?" Well we are celebrating LIFE!


When: Sept 20th-Set 28th
Where: Pop Century
What :Mickey Not So Scary Halloween Party Sept 22
ADR's:
Crystal Palace
Tutto Italia
Park Fare
Sci Fi Theatre
Aloha Dinner at Poly
Biergarten

Hope that we see some Lime Green Mickey heads on this trip. If you see ours be sure to say Hello

 

[aprilisis]

Have a great trip!

 

[CupidsKiss]

Have a great trip!

Thank you so much!

 

[verygfy]

My husband had kidney cancer last year and has been cancer free for almost a year now, so I say congratulations to Don. I hope you have a wonderful trip celebrating life and I can't wait to read about it.

 

[CupidsKiss]

We arrived home from a week long RV vacation to Alberta a cuple of days ago.
In my eyes it was not my *real* vacation...just a means to pass time till Disney. The argg part is going back to work with a weeks worth of catch up on my plate.

I sulked home feeling sorry for myself only perking up when DH handed me.......................
two vary large envelopes housing some very special yellow sticky labels
Yeah!!!! Our Magical Express Luggage Tags
URL=http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2011634980035489037BQTehi]

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Guess my Bassett Hound Zoe isn't thrilled we will be leaving her at home!

DH did not quite share the same excitement that I was feeling over luggage claim tags...hmmm I am going to have to work on his enthusisium. Although he is just relieved it is not something else to have to pay for.

 

[CupidsKiss]

My husband had kidney cancer last year and has been cancer free for almost a year now, so I say congratulations to Don. I hope you have a wonderful trip celebrating life and I can't wait to read about it.

Thank you for the sentiments. You surely know how life can be interupted. All the best to your family on your trip to the World. Warm them up there for us

 

[SilverL]

I became of daily visitor to Fare Compare and snapped up $99 seats Seattle to MCO via the Air Tran website.

$99???

Dang. We're about 4 hours south of Seattle and just got our tickets PDX to MCO for about 4x that.

We're going to MNSSHP on the 22nd too!

 

[CupidsKiss]

$99???

Dang. We're about 4 hours south of Seattle and just got our tickets PDX to MCO for about 4x that.

We're going to MNSSHP on the 22nd too!

Couldn't help but smap up the $99 seats. Was afraid we would not see any cheaper than that.

I used to love camping at Long Beach when I lived in Bremerton & Poulsbo !

Have you been to MNSSHP before? I am really looking forward to dressing up and immersing ourselves in that night! Perhaps we will cross paths on the 22nd.

 

[SilverL]

Couldn't help but smap up the $99 seats. Was afraid we would not see any cheaper than that.

I used to love camping at Long Beach when I lived in Bremerton & Poulsbo !

Have you been to MNSSHP before? I am really looking forward to dressing up and immersing ourselves in that night! Perhaps we will cross paths on the 22nd.

I've never been. That's so funny about camping at Long Beach. Did you camp at KOA? I drive by there nearly every day. Have lived here for about 15 years. Let me tell you, it's much less interesting after so long!

 

[got_ron]

I'm not even around to bask in the glory that is "Magical Express Tickets" Here I am on my own little vacation and you get what I've been waiting for. I don't think Zoe is impressed with your excitement because I know she's thinking "where's that girl with the long hair, she'd be jumping around all crazy!" Apperantly you weren't excited enough!!

Di describes me as a princess, well I don't know about that but I guess I could cope with it, if I had to. But the trivial pursuit thing is true, it's really sad I have to trick people into playing with me. There is one Disney game I can't win when BJ is around, and that's Disney Think Fast for the WII and let me tell you I was shocked and I pouted a little when I lost. But it's not because he knows more then me, it's that the hours of playing video games have escalated his quick reflexes so he can press the button faster then me. I know, I know, I'm pathetic, but that reasoning makes me feel better so I'm going to keep on thinking it!

Now about Di's description of herself, she is truly Tinkerbell, maybe too much worshipping has turned her. We did the "Who are you" quiz in Beast's Library last year at DLR, guess who she got, first try, no fudging answers! Thankfully I have managed not to attract the Tink attitude so far!

Don, described to a tee as well exspecially the joke comment, we mostly just shake our heads

Now Paige, she forgot to mention how caring and generous she is. She's sometimes on the little over protective side, but it does truly show how much she cares. Yes she might want to fight along with the pirates but that may have something to do with her wanting to keep up with big brother.

Now planning:

BJ and I are still planning on going on our 2nd trip so we decided to get AP's which we just recently decided to upgrade to PAP's when we get there. We have thought it through and it made sense. Our second trip is going to be a 17 day extravaganza and since I know he will want to check out Disney Quest and we will be hitting the water parks, we decided to upgrade. I don't know how much planning I have actually put into this upcoming trip, Di say's "OOOOOO!!! flights - $99!!!!" (that was actually the call I got) I say OK. We did spend 3 hours on a sunny Sunday finishing my hard worked on spreadsheet, hey I had to do something to bide the time when she went to Arkansas and I had no one to talk Dis with! We picked which parks when and our ADR's that day.

I would tell you a little more detailed info about the trip but I don't have my spreadsheet or passporter here with me. Hold on I have my Ipod!!

Now as Di said:

When: Sept 20th-Set 28th
Where: Pop Century
What :Mickey Not So Scary Halloween Party Sept 22
ADR's:
Crystal Palace
Tutto Italia
Park Fare
Sci Fi Theatre
Aloha Dinner at Poly
Biergarten

She forgot to mention Blizzard Beach:

We are taking a late flight from Seattle and landing in Florida around 10am.
We are going to check in and then heading to Blizzard Beach, I wanted to do Typhoon Lagoon because I wanted to swim with the sharks but I was vetoed and since I can do that next trip, I relented. After BB we are hitting DTD and I'm sure we will be exhausted!

 

[CupidsKiss]

I've never been. That's so funny about camping at Long Beach. Did you camp at KOA? I drive by there nearly every day. Have lived here for about 15 years. Let me tell you, it's much less interesting after so long!

No...it was in my younger years when camping didn't involve an RV. We stayed at the State Park.

I have been reading your pre-trippie and it looks like you have put in a lot of thought. Have a great time there on your DisneyMoon.

 

[CupidsKiss]

I'm not even around to bask in the glory that is "Magical Express Tickets" Here I am on my own little vacation and you get what I've been waiting for.

:

Your UPS envelope is sitting crisply unopened awaiting your return so you can open it in front of me....we can dance around and the dog will know that...we are both nutcases

 

[CupidsKiss]

I thought I would visually share some of the "stuff" Jenn and I worked on these past few months starting with the must have matching family T-shirts

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Jenn played with Photoshop for sometime picking out all of our favorite charactors and incorporating them.


However the first thing we started making when we intially booked the VaCa were Mousekeeping envelopes. These ones were mine. Jenn's are much better as she did not rush making them. I am sure she will share them later.

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[CupidsKiss]

We picked up some of the Disney Programs for our Cricut machines and started making window decor for our two rooms. At this rate there will be no daylight peaking through!

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Jenn and I both decided to design and have printed personalized autograph books which we filled with pictures of the most commonally spotted charactors. We are only grown up in body!

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[CupidsKiss]

This is my costume, wings and headpiece for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.
I am to be a Spring Fairy and Jenn will be a Water Fairy.
Paige is going as Kiari from Kingdom Hearts 2 (Disney Playstation Game/Anime), BJ will be a Knight and Don is wavering from using his King of Heart costume last year and is leaning towards being Indiana Jones in hopes of it being cooler.

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[kmartin555]

Hi, I'm here! Great PTR! LOVE all of the stuff you guys have made, especially the window decorations! That is something I am still working on getting together. You and your DIL are so creative!

Be sure and look for me at POP and MNSSHP! I plan on having a LGMH on my bag!