Okay, I'm not sure if I should start a trip report when I haven't even left yet, but they seem like so much fun. I figured I would give our pre trip stuff down and then write all about it when I get back. When I get back,,, just thinking about that (even though I haven't left yet!) makes me sad. Don't we all just wish would could live at the world?
So, about a month ago now, my DH and I were talking about how his mother and his brother and sister were going to Florida and possibly going to Disney World. I had told him over and over again, I want to go too! I am a Disney fanatic, I read every book I can ever get and I have visited only about a dozen times with my family over the years. I just can't get enough. He says No, I don't want to miss any school time. My DH and I are still in college and his mother was planning to go at the end of Sept. After much cajoling and pleading, I finally got a MAYBE! Alright, then I knew I had him, he was going to break! So, he talks to his Mom, and gets all the details.
Warning: I have to go into some long back story here.
DH's mom and dad are divorced. DH's dad is not cool. He abandoned his kids after the divorce and hardly ever sees them. He did not come to my DH's graduation or our WEDDING. What a father
Now sometimes he does still see my DH's little brother and sister. Last summer their dad promised them a trip to Disney. They were so excited, they couldn't sleep for weeks. The big day comes, and he takes them to Virginia Beach instead. They were happy to spend time with their dad, but to put it mildly, they were devastated. So, now their mom says she is going to take them. Let's just say she's not too good about following through with this kind of stuff.
So, DH talkes to his mom, a week later she calls, says she's not going. She can't afford it. It is now less than two months til she had planned to go and she has been "planning" to go for six to eight months now. All this time, apparently, she has not been saving or anything. So she can't go.
Now, maybe its just because I'm selfish and I love Disney so much, but I can't stand it either that these kids have now been told they were going to get to go to Disney TWICE and it has fallen through. So DH and I decided we were going to go, and take them with us, whether his mother likes it or NOT! Just kidding, that's how we felt but we wouldn't have taken them unless she said it was all okay.
She says it all cool with her. BINGO!!! We are in business! Now we just have to decide when to go. We decide on less than a month from now, Sept 1 through the 11 (we are driving down). I get on the phone right away, run to my nearest library to grab a copy of the Unofficial guide and jump on the net to try to find us the best deal ever. Now, this will be the THIRD vacation we have taken in a year. Two cruises before this, so it doesn't even need to be said, Money is VERY tight - I don't care, we are going to Disney!!!!!!
I'm thinking, wow, we are probably going to be charged an arm and a leg for reserving so late in the game. Well, lucky me, for being smart and reading the guide, getting some great saving codes from websites, I booked our 7 night vacation for four at Pop Century for a mere 1300 dollars. I was psyched! When we went to the travel agent, she had quoted us at 1000 more, at 2300 for only 6 nights and 5 days of park passes. We now had 7 nights and 6 days of park passes. How fantasmic!!! Also, I do more research online and I find that all four of us can go to SeaWorld for free for a day also because my DH is in the military! Boo YA!
We are all set, we are planning to surprise the kids. But about three days ago, we give out. We are just too excited, we want to share it with them!
I guess now would be a good time to introduce this cast of characters:
Me, Melissa- A junior in college, majoring in Zoology, married almost a year to my wonderful DH, who puts up with my disney crazed obsession; work as a waitress at the Brown Derby Roadhouse, and my dream job would be working at the Animal Kingdom (I am a Zoology major after all)
DH (Chris) - Also a junior in college, but a couple years older than me, 23 to my 21. Thinks I am absolutely crazy for trying to plan a third vacation in a year, espically when we just bought a house!; but goes along with it cause he knows it makes me over the top happy; (Hey, my philosophy is just to live life and be happy, the bills are getting paid, who cares
) He is majoring in criminal justice and is in the National Guard, works as a cook at Applebee's and misses his little brother and sister whom he basically had to help raise since his dad wasn't there. We have been together six years, five years before we were married.
DB(in law) - Eric, 12, drives me crazy. Known as the Talker. I'm not kidding. This kid can talk you into a coma, he will talk about anything and everything under the sun for hours straight, never stopping. Since he's getting older, thankfully he is now starting to talk about things that have meaning, before it was: Melissa Melissa Melissa, What Eric? Um, Um, Um, did you see that tree outside?; I'm not joking. It may not sound bad, but after three hours of that, you feel like your IQ is lowering by half what it was to begin with. He's okay though, he's a good kid, very polite and grateful for everything. He just talks alot. I love him like he's my own brother.
DS(in law) - Brittany, 14, getting to that stage where she doesn't know how she wants to act anymore; kid or adult? She's cool, very quiet, basically because she can't get a word in otherwise with Eric around, very into sports and school, a tomboy because she's grown up with three brothers; also very polite and grateful for everything; neither of them get out much; we took them to a mall a couple of months ago and they were fascinated by the escalator; so this trip is really going to be something for them
So we break the big news to them, and to my surprise: they don't act excited or anything. Brittany is too worried about missing school and practice and Eric is just like okay, and starts talking about something else. I'm like, what is going on here? Now, I'm starting to get really worried. What if they don't even really want to go? What if we are shelling out all this money would could spend on the house fixing it up, and they don't even really care to go? Well then the realization comes that, to them, this is just another promise to go, and we probably won't. So, we tell them that we already made the reservations and bought the tickets. That brings out the excitement. You see, their mom and dad never did that. That means we are really going! They get excited, Whew, my almost heart attack is abated. Plus my DH says, they don't really understand what Disney is all about anyway, they have never been there, and to them, its just like a carnival or something. Wow, do they have a big surprise coming.....
So, about a month ago now, my DH and I were talking about how his mother and his brother and sister were going to Florida and possibly going to Disney World. I had told him over and over again, I want to go too! I am a Disney fanatic, I read every book I can ever get and I have visited only about a dozen times with my family over the years. I just can't get enough. He says No, I don't want to miss any school time. My DH and I are still in college and his mother was planning to go at the end of Sept. After much cajoling and pleading, I finally got a MAYBE! Alright, then I knew I had him, he was going to break! So, he talks to his Mom, and gets all the details.
Warning: I have to go into some long back story here.
DH's mom and dad are divorced. DH's dad is not cool. He abandoned his kids after the divorce and hardly ever sees them. He did not come to my DH's graduation or our WEDDING. What a father
Now sometimes he does still see my DH's little brother and sister. Last summer their dad promised them a trip to Disney. They were so excited, they couldn't sleep for weeks. The big day comes, and he takes them to Virginia Beach instead. They were happy to spend time with their dad, but to put it mildly, they were devastated. So, now their mom says she is going to take them. Let's just say she's not too good about following through with this kind of stuff.So, DH talkes to his mom, a week later she calls, says she's not going. She can't afford it. It is now less than two months til she had planned to go and she has been "planning" to go for six to eight months now. All this time, apparently, she has not been saving or anything. So she can't go.
Now, maybe its just because I'm selfish and I love Disney so much, but I can't stand it either that these kids have now been told they were going to get to go to Disney TWICE and it has fallen through. So DH and I decided we were going to go, and take them with us, whether his mother likes it or NOT! Just kidding, that's how we felt but we wouldn't have taken them unless she said it was all okay.
She says it all cool with her. BINGO!!! We are in business! Now we just have to decide when to go. We decide on less than a month from now, Sept 1 through the 11 (we are driving down). I get on the phone right away, run to my nearest library to grab a copy of the Unofficial guide and jump on the net to try to find us the best deal ever. Now, this will be the THIRD vacation we have taken in a year. Two cruises before this, so it doesn't even need to be said, Money is VERY tight - I don't care, we are going to Disney!!!!!!
I'm thinking, wow, we are probably going to be charged an arm and a leg for reserving so late in the game. Well, lucky me, for being smart and reading the guide, getting some great saving codes from websites, I booked our 7 night vacation for four at Pop Century for a mere 1300 dollars. I was psyched! When we went to the travel agent, she had quoted us at 1000 more, at 2300 for only 6 nights and 5 days of park passes. We now had 7 nights and 6 days of park passes. How fantasmic!!! Also, I do more research online and I find that all four of us can go to SeaWorld for free for a day also because my DH is in the military! Boo YA!
We are all set, we are planning to surprise the kids. But about three days ago, we give out. We are just too excited, we want to share it with them!
I guess now would be a good time to introduce this cast of characters:
Me, Melissa- A junior in college, majoring in Zoology, married almost a year to my wonderful DH, who puts up with my disney crazed obsession; work as a waitress at the Brown Derby Roadhouse, and my dream job would be working at the Animal Kingdom (I am a Zoology major after all)
DH (Chris) - Also a junior in college, but a couple years older than me, 23 to my 21. Thinks I am absolutely crazy for trying to plan a third vacation in a year, espically when we just bought a house!; but goes along with it cause he knows it makes me over the top happy; (Hey, my philosophy is just to live life and be happy, the bills are getting paid, who cares
) He is majoring in criminal justice and is in the National Guard, works as a cook at Applebee's and misses his little brother and sister whom he basically had to help raise since his dad wasn't there. We have been together six years, five years before we were married.DB(in law) - Eric, 12, drives me crazy. Known as the Talker. I'm not kidding. This kid can talk you into a coma, he will talk about anything and everything under the sun for hours straight, never stopping. Since he's getting older, thankfully he is now starting to talk about things that have meaning, before it was: Melissa Melissa Melissa, What Eric? Um, Um, Um, did you see that tree outside?; I'm not joking. It may not sound bad, but after three hours of that, you feel like your IQ is lowering by half what it was to begin with. He's okay though, he's a good kid, very polite and grateful for everything. He just talks alot. I love him like he's my own brother.
DS(in law) - Brittany, 14, getting to that stage where she doesn't know how she wants to act anymore; kid or adult? She's cool, very quiet, basically because she can't get a word in otherwise with Eric around, very into sports and school, a tomboy because she's grown up with three brothers; also very polite and grateful for everything; neither of them get out much; we took them to a mall a couple of months ago and they were fascinated by the escalator; so this trip is really going to be something for them
So we break the big news to them, and to my surprise: they don't act excited or anything. Brittany is too worried about missing school and practice and Eric is just like okay, and starts talking about something else. I'm like, what is going on here? Now, I'm starting to get really worried. What if they don't even really want to go? What if we are shelling out all this money would could spend on the house fixing it up, and they don't even really care to go? Well then the realization comes that, to them, this is just another promise to go, and we probably won't. So, we tell them that we already made the reservations and bought the tickets. That brings out the excitement. You see, their mom and dad never did that. That means we are really going! They get excited, Whew, my almost heart attack is abated. Plus my DH says, they don't really understand what Disney is all about anyway, they have never been there, and to them, its just like a carnival or something. Wow, do they have a big surprise coming.....
I've only thrown one temper tantrum where I actually stamped my foot and jumped up and down. My DH got a real kick of this and laughed his butt off. Little he knows, I wasn't joking. No not really, I was joking. mostly. I'm all ready to leave, I've spent hours and hours on the trip reports board looking for tips and advice. We have an intinerary, DMIL is bringing the kids over thurs. night and we are leaving Friday. Can't wait. Been shopping for food and stuff. Found a kennel and pet sitters. All we have to do is get the car an overall inspection and we are free to go. Nothing is going to be in our way.
I hope you all have a magical time!!!! You have the same spirit about Disney as I do. Bravo to you both for sharing it with two kids who have been so diasppointed. 
The kids will never forget this trip! Great job! 
