Woo Hoo! Headed To See The Mouse!!! Ptr March 2009

[MICKEY4EVER!]

Walt Disney World, Pre-Trip Report

The Cast: Me (29), DS(4)
• Wilderness Lodge Villas, November 2006
• Wilderness Lodge Villas, March 2008
DF (50’s) DM (60’s)
DSis(34), DN (11)
• DVC Members, cannot count the trips these guys have been on!!!!

Resort: Saratoga Springs Resort

Dates: Monday, March 16th thru Saturday, March 21st (2009)

The Plan:

First off, let’s begin by saying that sadly, DH does not have the “Disney Fever” that DS and I possess, so he will at home while DS and I travel with my folks. His plans for the week are to go to work, come home and microwave his supper and go to bed at eight-thirty every evening.

I feel that DH's plans will work out quite differently than he predicts– I think he will either be over at the neighbors eating dinner and lounging around with them every night, or he will be at home in the evenings happily munching on his McDonald’s takeout, watching as much Golf TV as his heart desires (without any complaining from DS or myself), and falling asleep right in the recliner, not waking until morning.

Throughout the week, there will probably be a nice combination of the two scenarios, I’m sure! And DH is quite content having the entire house all for himself for a week.

We plan to leave out Sunday evening, March 15th. DSis will have to work that Sunday and will not get off until seven p.m. She has two dogs that have to be taken to the vet for dog sitting and her bags will then have to be loaded into DF's van. They will then swing by our house and pick me and DS up. I’m sure they will have to stop and eat dinner before traveling can ensue. I estimate being on the interstate by nine-thirty p.m. or ten at the latest.

We plan to travel for half of the leg of the trip and then stop at a hotel for a few hours of rest, showers, breakfast, and then be on the road again by eight a.m. or so on Monday morning. We will drive the rest of the way to Disney World, only stopping for restroom breaks and snack opportunities. You might as well eat since there’s nothing else to do in the car!

When we arrive at SSR, hopefully by one or two o’clock, we plan to unload our luggage in the room, freshen up, and head over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. If our room is not available upon arrival, we will just board a bus to DHS to make our lunch ADR for Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano. We will then stay in the park and enjoy Extra Magic Hours!

DS is now over 40” in height, so I look forward to taking him on the Tower of Terror! It will be his first ride on this attraction. Unfortunately, no one else in my party enjoys this ride, so DS and I will do this solo. I do hope he enjoys it as much as I think he will.

We have ADR’s for Tony’s in MK two days that week, AK's Rainforest Café (twice that week also), and House of Blues in DTD. I have never been to HoB, but I look forward to trying it out!

My family just loves Tony’s, though this will be my first time to eat there and DSis adores Rainforest so it’s a must each time we go. I have eaten at Rainforest once (in 2006) and ordered a “grilled” chicken salad. What came out was a large bowl of lettuce, a few bits of chopped tomato and some dry baked chicken resting on top. It wasn’t even grilled!

My family said I looked like a rabbit over that big bowl of greens! So, I’ll know not to try that this time around. But the Volcano was lots of fun because when you order it the waiters all scream “VOOOLLLCCCAANNNO!!!!” really loud and it tastes really good too. It certainly made up for the tasteless lunch I had.

I also ordered the grilled chicken salad at Planet Hollywood and pretty much got the same thing. Except they forgot the chicken and had to bring it out separately. Again, just a plain, white and dry looking piece of chicken. Nothing special and certainly nothing that screamed "eat me!". I'm guessing this is the norm as far as salad's go around WDW. My son's chicken and french fries looked absolutely delicious compared to what I had ordered, LOL! Fortunately, he didn't mind sharing.

Really, I just like to eat and get back to the parks myself, so I’m not big on table service restaurants! Counter Service works just fine for me and DS, but I also like a good meal and I enjoy spending time with my family, so it will be loads of fun.

A full trip report to follow after our trip. I can't wait! Only five weeks to go!

 

[MICKEY4EVER!]

Well, today officially marks only twenty-eight days to go before we leave for Walt Disney World!

I have actually started loading up the suitcase as of last night. Do you think it's too soon to start packing???

Seriously though, I actually got nervous thinking about going in less than a month, so I figured that I had better start getting some things together just to make sure that I don't forget anything. I always feel like I have to pack up the entire house for a one week trip! Of course, I never use half of the things that I bring, but you just never know what you'll need while you're down there, so my motto is: "Better to be prepared!"

I'll start making the lists soon. Oh yes, I am also certifiably a "Neurotic Disney Mom!" and quite proud of it!

Counting the days...(the hours, the minutes!)

 

[MICKEY4EVER!]

I put everything that I would be wearing at WDW in the luggage last night that I knew I wouldn't need between now and the trip (just to make things easy). But, I just remembered that I did not put the bathing suit in the suitcase. It is forty-seven degrees where I live now, so I KNOW for certain that I will not be needing the bathing suit between now and March.

So, why, I wonder, did I forget to pack the bathing suit? Do you think it could be because it is February and wearing a bathing suit is the last thing on my mind?

Or could it possibly be that my mind is sparing me from the utter embarrassment that I will surely feel when I step out into the glaring Florida sunshine and BLIND everyone who attempts to turn their head in my direction with my artic winter-white skin? Oh, yes, I believe THAT would be the reason! You might need your shades, people!

So, how to resolve this dilemma that I just realized....Should I risk putting on the suit now and attempting at getting some sunshine between now and March 15th (even though it is frigidly cold outside???); or should I try the rub on tan and risk potentially resembling a striped carrot?

The tanning bed is just not an option, unfortunately. It would seem that I've developed an allergy to extremely close contact to ultra-violet rays (only after I experienced one glorious year of beautifully tanned skin - a first for the likes of my extreme fairness.)

Yep, the following year I go back to experience the same gloriousness of being TAN that I felt the summer before, and guess what? I come out COVERED in ugly red hives! I felt like a leper, and trust me, was treated as such for days until the hideous hives disappeared. I tried to go again once the skin cleared up, thinking I had developed an allergy to their cleaning solution, but alas, I broke into hives again.

I can endure God's natural sunlight within extreme reason, but I'm wondering now should I just leave the swimsuit at home and pretend I never remembered it? Or should I should I just go as I am and pretend to be comfortable in my extrememly pale skin?

I'm nearly thirty years old, and yes, I am well aware that I am getting older and admittedly so, I can feel quite insecure in surroundings where there are beautiful young girls who are well-toned, well-tanned, and comfortable with themselves! I will be a very pale person in the sunshine state! No wonder I feel out of place, LOL!


Any advice?

 

[MICKEY4EVER!]

Decided to go ahead and pack the bathing suit. I mean, what the heck? It's not like anyone has never seen white skin before, right?

I'll just look like what I am - a tourist! And I'll have fun no matter what I look like, even though I do have SOME pride!

 

[MICKEY4EVER!]

Well, there's less than two weeks to go! We're getting so excited and I'm a little more than nervous to be going without DH this time. I can't recall a time in all of our fourteen years together that we've been apart this long.

DS4 told DH last night that he wasn't going if his Daddy wasn't going. I was like "Oh Yes You Are!!!!" I've planned this trip far too long for him to back out now and he's four! He's going whether he likes it or not, and he'll thank me once he's there and meeting all of his old character friends again.

This will be the longest two week wait of my life.

 

[derncare]

Hi! We're leaving in 17 days so sounds like we will be there around the same time as you. I too have already started packing. I'm so excited that I can't stand it! None of us have been to Disney before so we are all excited. This is also our first family vacation that is longer than 2 days so we can't wait!

 

[MICKEY4EVER!]

Hello, Derncare! Our arrival date is March 16th and we'll be there until March 21st.

I've been checking the fifteen day weather forecast on accuweather.com and it looks like the day we get there it will be in the high sixties. Tuesday is looking about the same. Gosh! I hope the weather is WARM. We were there this time last year and I was quite chilly the whole week.

Congratulations on the trip! I hope you and your family have such a Wonderful time

 

[MICKEY4EVER!]

Well, our trip is FINALLY just a week away! I've been packing for some time now and getting odds and ends together for myself and DS4. I even bought some glow-necklaces from the dollar-store yesterday as a thread here on DIS suggested. What a cool idea!

I'm terrified that I'm going to forget something vital like the battery charger for my phone or the camcorder or the tapes for the camcorder. I keep checking and rechecking the suitcase to make sure I have all I'm going to need.

And you all may think I'm silly, but I am getting so very nervous about going on vacation without DH. We've been together for fourteen years, and I can't recall ever being away from him for a whole week. Nor have I ever gone this far without him, especially with our son in tow. And I'm just a little nervous about missing him, too. Kind of crazy for an almost thirty year old to be worried about being away from her husband, dontcha think?

And I know DS4 will miss him terribly also, but we know how much fun we're going to have at Disney World. It just seems a little strange to be taking a family vacation without the head of our FAMILY!