YES, We really are going to Disney AGAIN!!!!

[MrsHeg]

I've never done an official trip report before but thought I would give it a try this time.

As for the title, I'm sure you all understand, we get that question from family and friends every time they hear we are going to Disney, we're Disney addicts and not ashamed to admit it.

Let me introduce my cast of characters, small as it may be.

There's me: AKA - Minnie, (I chose that name because like her, I'm completely smitten with Mickey) 47 year old Office Manager, Mom to two DD's and MawMaw to one 6 year old DGS with a DGD scheduled to arrive in February.

And DH: AKA - Grumpy, (this name explains itself) Back in 1994 when I decided it was time for us to take our first famiily trip to Disney, he wasn't on board at all, Disney was for kids and what in the world was he going to do there?

Well fast forward to 2008, he thinks that May is too long to wait to return after our November trip, I think he has the Disney bug even worse than I do.

 

[MrsHeg]

Just for fum I'll post a picture of the family in 1994, you can tell we are "Rookies" on Splash, everyone is holding on for dear life. I'm the big girl in green, DH is beside me and our DD's are in front of us.

 

[MrsHeg]

After our youngest DD graduated in 2004, Grumpy and I started to take trips by ourselves, and we loved it.

Our first November trip was a last minute decision made after Katrina destroyed our home town in MS. It was so depressing around here, the destruction was overbearing, so I came up with the idea of Disney. We made reservations at POP and we were off. Both of our places of employment were heavily damaged, but luckily we were able to return to work in a short amount of time. The trip was great, we happened to be there Jersey week so the crowds were higher than we expected but still very manageable.

Being an office manager in retail, The week following November 15 through the first of January is blocked out and no vacations are allowed. We missed the Osbourne lights by just a couple of days that first year so we decided to make November a tradition and take the last week I possibly could so that we would be there for Grumpy's birthday and also see the Osbourne lights.

So that's how our little tradition was born.

 

[MrsHeg]

I wanted to do something a little special for Grumpy since we will be celebrating his birthday while we are there, normally we stay at a moderate, we would love to stay at a Deluxe but the price scares me.

Well I looked into renting points from a DVC member and was able to rent points for a Studio at OKW for less than a room at a moderate, I wasn't gong to tell him but he figured it out recently. (Remember to clear the history on Google if you're looking up something that you don't want anyone to see)

We can drive in about 9 hours but we prefer to fly, that is before all the recent changes in luggage policies. I booked the trip in March and I also booked our flights at that time and was assured that the new policies wouldn't apply to us.

 

[MrsHeg]

The Airlines are notorious for changing flights and times, so I've gotten in the habit of checking regularly. One change they made had us leaving for our connecting flight before we left on our first leg, the straw the broke the camels back was an arrival time of 6:49 pm, which essentially leaves no time for anything on arrival day.

I called the airline and since they had made such a change in the flight time I was able to get a full refund.

We will be leaving on Friday after working a half day instead of Saturday and staying in Tallahassee that evening. With an early start we will arrive around 9:00 am, which now gives us a full day on arrival day.

Not to mention that since we are driving the truck I can shop to my hearts delight and not worry about getting my purchases home!

 

[MrsHeg]

I work in retail, and believe me that really takes away from the holidays. We're expected to work longer days with no weekends off, and deal with many not so happy holiday shoppers. (I know that's all part of it)

The Osbourne Lights are so beautiful, I could sit there for hours and just soak in the atmoshpere, so you can imagine my disappointment when I found out that they are starting later this year and we won't be able to see them.

 

[MrsHeg]

We have been to the three different parties at the MK,

I would rate them as follows:

First - Halloween, I absolutely LOVE the parade, especially the grave diggers and there shovels. And even though we're grown we got a kick out of Trick or Treat.

Second - Pirate and Princess, this got an unfair push in ranking because we had our DGS with us. His reaction when he saw Jack Sparrow in the parade made every penny we spent in taking him well worth it.

Third - Christmas, It was waay too crowded, and seeing any of the shows was a complete hassle. We did go again last year and didn't do any of the shows and it was much better, and seeing the castle lit up with the beautiful Christmas music playing was unbelievable. While everyone else was watching the parade Grumpy and I rode my favorite ride Splash four times in a row without geeting off, we could have kept going but our legs were cramping. Even still we had decided that we wouldn't be going back. Well . . . with no Osbourne lights and there being three parties while we are there, I figure it's a sign that we really should be going.

 

[MrsHeg]

I made another mistake in planning, in years past Super Soap Weekend has been on the first weekend in November so I planned our schedule accordingly, with an early morning ADR at H&V at DHS on the 15th.

Well when I found out that was the first day of SSW I quickly made a change to that one. I'm definitely not a Soap Fan and I don't want to be in that chaos.

 

[MrsHeg]

Here's our DGS at the Pirate and Princess Party,

And since it was the last party they loaded him down with goodies,

 

[MrsHeg]

Here's the view that had me spellbound at the Christmas party last year,

 

[MrsHeg]

Friday November 7th - Work half day, pack up the truck and drive to Tallahassee

Saturday November 8th - Get up really early, arrive at OKW that morning. Take the boat over to DTD do some shopping and try to get into T Rex for lunch. No real plans for the evening, we'll just do whatever feels right at the time.

Sunday November 9th - Animal Kingdom - We originally had dinner plans at Cape May, but we met some friends there for dinner in August, and we have no complaints about it, but DH would rather go to Whispering Canyon, so I changed this one, we are having a late dinner now though.

Monday November 10th - Hollywood Studios, our favorite park, with dinner aat PT 50's. Hopefully we will get a fun waiter this time.

Tuesday November 11th - Magic Kingdom - We will be there for rope drop and leave after lunch for a break at the resort. Dinner will be at 1900 Park Fare with the Christmas party to follow.

Wednesday November 12th - Epcot - With lunch at Le Cellier, I tried for dinner but was too late calling for that one.

Thursday November 13th - Hollywood Studios to celebrate Grumpy's birthday. Lunch will be at Coral Reef, I have arranged for a personalized menu and a diver sign, cross your fingers that this works out. After lunch we will head back over to the Studios. We love just sitting on a bench and watching the street actors, especcially the Public Works Department.

Friday November 14th - Magic Kingdom with dinner at Ohana

Saturday November 15th - Departure day, We have an early morning reservation at Tusker House for breakfast. Since we are spending the night in Tallahassee we don't have to get on the road until late afternoon if we don't want to, so we'll see how that goes.

We are staying at OKW on points, and the internet is supposed to be free so I plan on taking the laptop and doing some live updates while we are there. I'll try and remember to have the photopass photographers take pictures of us with my camera so that I will have a few pictures to post. That is definitely a down side to just having the two of us, the pictures aren't quite as interesting.

 

[MrsHeg]

Here's a picture taken at Epcot last year, by mid week the crowds were really low,

 

[MrsHeg]

And believe it or not this was taken mid day,

 

[MrsHeg]

I believe this was just after opening, but how often do you see Frontierland like this?

 

[MrsHeg]

Let's not forget Fantasyland,

 

[MrsHeg]

We took a trip this August to meet with a group of DIS'ers that I chat with on the Creative Designs board, we had a wonderful time and really enjoyed meeting everyone, but we are looking forward to low crowd levels.

I hope that I haven't got my expectations so high that I wil lbe disappointed, either way we'll be at Disney!!!!!

 

[MousekaMaddi]

we will be at ASMovies Nov 9-18,hope to bump into u in the parks!!

 

[MrsHeg]

we will be at ASMovies Nov 9-18,hope to bump into u in the parks!!

Thanks, we'll be there!

 

[MrsHeg]

Here's our DGS at Garden Grill when we took him for free dining in 2007.

The kids get three days off the week of Mardi Gras here so wo thought that would be the perfect time to take him again. Then we found out he is going to be a big brother and the baby is scheduled to be born on the 20th, (repeat C section) so that wouldn't work. He gets out of school on the 22nd of May so we are now leaving on the 23rd. We'll just have to deal with the crowds and make the most of it.

I got a great deal on point rental for the trip so we will be staying at OKW again. We are also going to spend one day at SeaWorld, I think he will really enjoy it.

 

[Michelle_and_Aaron]

Nice start. I can't wait to read more.