You Wish Surprise Will Never Stop Wonders (Jun or Oct '11 PTR)

[Homesick for Disney]

I have been on quite a few Disney trips in the past six years. Eight to be exact. Each time I have been excited. But nothing compares to this trip.

We are taking our niece to Disney World. She has been asking us for ages to take her, ever since the day she sat on my lap and looked at literally hundreds of pictures. She kept saying, “I want to ride that train with you and Uncle Trent.” “I want to see those fireworks with you and Uncle Trent.” “I want to eat that hamburger with you and Uncle Trent.”

Yeah, I know I was being played. But it worked. After some careful deliberation (Can she be away from her mom that long? Can we handle her stubbornness?), we decided to take her.

I’ve been to Disney twice with small children (the other niece and nephew), but we were with either their parents or grandparents. This will be the first time that the DH and I are on our own with a little one. Thus, I will be needing lots of advice and tips, as much as you are willing to give. I have a lot of decisions to make, and much of it will be hinge on the fact that we’ll have a four-year old with us.

But first, introductions…

There’s me. Lisa, 28, elementary teacher. I love my job and I cherish my time off in equal measure. Here are a few things I love: sunshine, indie music, science fiction, my family, books, cupcakes, words, my students, Lego, Doctor Who, my husband, and Disney (of course!). I am constantly chasing after magic (or my childhood, depending on how you look at it).

Next up is Trent. He’s 25 and also an elementary teacher. In fact, we teach at the same school. A few of Trent’s favorite things include: Star Wars, Lego, the San Diego Chargers, candy, football, Ultimate Frisbee, astronomy, and video games. Like me, he is enchanted with Disney and always looking forward to our next trip.

And last but certainly not least is Josie. I’d like to say she’s a princess, but I think diva would be a more accurate title. How a child can pack so much attitude and still be so sweet is a mystery. Josie is 4 and loves all things Disney. We’ve watched Finding Nemo so many times that I can quote huge chunks of it verbatim. She also has a love for the Princesses, particularly “the blue one.” Every day is a performance for her and she loves to experiment with outfits and makeup. She loves to sing and dance. Oh yeah, and she thought we were leaving this past Wednesday...

I’ll end with a few more pictures and a promise to be back soon with our Disney history and some details about our upcoming trip…

 

[Homesick for Disney]

What follows is a (brief ) history of the trips we’ve taken.

April 2005 – Disneyland

Before Trent and I got married, his parents took us on a trip to Los Angeles. We were going for about a week; our primary objective was to attend a film premiere, but we were also going to do some sightseeing. When they told us we were going to spend three days at DL, I was disappointed. I had never been that kid that wanted to go to Disney…I always asked for a trip to Europe. Still, the trip was one of the nicest things anyone had ever done for me and I wasn’t about to complain.

The first thing I remember noticing about DL is the theming. I’d been to a couple of ragtag amusement parks, and in my stilted knowledge, I expected Disney to be the same. That first day, I rode my first real rollercoaster, talked my father-in-law to be into It’s a Small World, and fell in love with Peter Pan’s Flight. I was hooked.

July 2005 – Honeymoon

We got married in July of 2005. While we’d been planning for a while to go to New York, the allure of Disney was just too strong. I’d loved DL and wanted to see what WDW had to offer.

I honestly cannot remember much about this trip. If I had to name a worst trip, it would have to be this one. I’d had surgery a month prior and felt poorly the entire time. I didn’t take any pictures either…I don’t know where my brain was, thinking I would one day be fine with having no pictures of my honeymoon. *shrugs*

That said, I do remember having a lot of fun. It was our first trip alone together and there was something so appealing about the magic of Disney and being able to make our own decisions.

Jun 2006 – The Kids’ First Trip

If it isn’t obvious, we are very close to our nieces and nephew. After doing DL and WDW without them, we didn’t think we could go again unless they were going, too. Luckily, my SIL and BIL were planning a trip for June and wanted us to come along. At that time, there was just a niece and nephew; Josie hadn’t been born yet. It’s a running joke that whenever she asks to go to Disney, we tell her that she did…in her mommy’s tummy.

Probably the most memorable thing about this trip was our arrival. Brielle, who was 5 at the time, had been very excited to go to Disney. We got to Pop Century and put away our things, ready to hit up the parks. Everything seemed great until Brielle started crying. She thought the hotel was Disney and couldn’t figure out why we were leaving! It took us ages to convince her to get on the bus, but once she got to DHS, she realized that there was so much more to Disney.

I’m getting all nostalgic looking at how little they were…

May 2007 – Last Minute Decision Trip

By the next May, we were itching to go to Disney again. This time, the DH and I decided that we would take a trip on our own again. We went in early May, which was wonderful. The weather was perfect and the crowds were light. This was our first trip to try the dining plan and we loved it! On our previous trips, we’d stuck mostly to counter services, so it was nice to try out some of the great sit-downs.

On this trip, we discovered Tyrone, a bird named by the DH who has his own rock by the castle in MK. In the picture, you can see Tyrone on his rock, spreading his wings, saying to the other birds who are looking on, “This is my rock! Find your own rock!” It became a running joke, and each trip we look for Tyrone.

Tyrone on his rock, guarding it from the jealous birds…

On this trip, I also got a bit obsessed with taking pictures of the fireworks. At the time, I knew nothing about cameras and had no idea that my little point-and-shoot would be no good at the night shots. Actually, I didn’t know that with my second camera either. Now I’m jonesing for a DSLR.

The best I could manage…

January 2008 – Sssh! It’s a Surprise Trip

That Christmas, Trent’s parents gave us a trip to Disney. Best. Gift. Ever. What was even more fun was that it was going to be a surprise for my niece and nephew. They wouldn’t know until Christmas morning that we were going. We all had so much fun planning the surprise and keeping it a secret. We kept telling them things like, “It’s going to take us 5 days to fully open your present.”

When they opened their boxes that told them where we were going, they seemed a bit disappointed.

Once they got over the shock of not having something to play with RIGHT THEN, they were really excited. All in all it was a great trip, although the crowd levels were extremely high and it was bitterly cold. We went with the kids, my in-laws, and another family. It was difficult to manage that many people in the crowds.

The best picture I have…sorry it’s blurry



May 2008 – Nerdfighter Trip

We went again that May. Our families were beginning to fear that we were obsessed. I argued that we were geeks, and it was in our nature. There’s not much to say about this trip other than we had a ton of fun and it further cemented our love for all things Disney.

A picture of us looking really happy…

December 2008 & 2009 – I Want WDW for Christmas and Graduation Celebration

We spent the second week of December at Disney for two years in a row. The first trip was a Christmas gift from my parents (seriously, we both have awesome parents) and the second was to celebrate my graduation from university. Both were great trips. I put them together, because they were very similar. We went to MVMCP both years and had a blast. Both of these trips came after very difficult semesters of school and I remember feeling so grateful to be in such a wonderful environment to de-stress.

May 2010 – The Awesome Anniversary Trip

Last summer, we had our 5-year wedding anniversary and our 10 years together anniversary. What better way than to spend it with a trip to the place where it all began? I had full intentions of writing a trip report for this one, but alas, things never go as planned.

And that brings us to now. We are planning our next trip for either June or October. I’ll be back soon with tons of ideas and questions.

 

[Homesick for Disney]

We have many decisions to make about our upcoming trip. The first, and probably most important, is when to go. When this trip first started, it included my parents-in-law and the older niece and nephew. Summer was our only option due to their school schedule. We chose early June, right after Memorial Day, because it seemed like the least crowded. Then, my parents-in-law decided not to go.

We decided to take Josie by herself for a few reasons. 1. She’s never been to WDW and the other two have been twice. 2. While the others got to spend so much time with us when they were little, she has not. 3. We’ll probably take the other two somewhere later this year or next summer. I’m all for taking them on trips, but I think one at a time will make things more enjoyable for all parties involved.

So, with just Josie going, some more dates opened up for us. She will not be in school next year, so we should be able to take her whenever. Our school has a fall break in October. Now we are trying to weigh out our options. I made a pros and cons list for both of the possible dates, but despite all that, I still cannot decide. I’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions.

Here are the good things about going in June. It is a lot sooner than October. Josie knows we’re going, and she wants to go NOW. As I said in an earlier post, she thought we were leaving last Wednesday. Obviously we’re not going to make our final decision based on the whims of a 4-year old, but she has been wanting to go for a long time and six months will seem like forever to her.

Take me now…or else.

June also offers no chance of scheduling conflicts. I know that we will be off in October, but there’s always the slight chance that Josie will be in preschool and her parents won’t want us to take her out for the week. Also, we have a free dining pin and for the summer, but I have no idea if we’ll have one for the fall.

On a less important note, I like the idea of the park being decorated traditionally for Josie’s first trip. She’s never been before, and I’d like her to see it without all the Halloween decorations.

Now for some cons about June. Obviously there’s the heat and the crowds. Usually these things don’t bother me too much, but again, I don’t know about waiting in long lines with Josie. I’d love for her to be able to ride some of her favorites over and over. It is also slightly more expensive for us to go during the summer.

A big con is Josie’s height. She is just a little over 38” and I don’t see her growing 2” in less than two months. That said, she hasn’t grown in ages, so it’s entirely possible that she won’t make that mark by October either. It won’t cut out too much, but I hate for her to miss Soarin, TT, BTMRR, and Splash. Oh, and Star Tours. I don’t know how much she cares about that, but Trent and I certainly do.

As for October, it has quite a lot going in its favor. For one, the weather and crowds are a lot milder. There’s also the opportunity for us to do F&W and MNSSHP, two things we’ve never done before. And there’s always the chance of getting a hotel discount. We’ll probably do a Value, but if we got a good enough discount, we may try a Deluxe. It’s kind of a dream of mine. Or, if we got free dining, we may upgrade to deluxe and do some signature meals / shows. And, with October, there’s always the tiny chance she’ll grow…

That said, when given the choice of a WDW trip sooner or later, my heart always says sooner. And it’s hard to convince your heart, no matter how many good points your brain might make.

So, thoughts? Opinions? What would you do if you were in my shoes?

 

[Corrine 1973]

As hard as it is to wait, I would say go in October. She will just love MNSSHP. I took my family there in September 2009, my daughter was 4 at the time, got to dress up like the princess she thinks she is, and had a great time. That being said I would definatly make sure the issue of possibly taking her out of school will not be an a problem. Hate for you to make all those plans and not be able to go.

 

[Homesick for Disney]

Thanks for the advice, Corrine 1973. I think she would love the Halloween Party (she's big into dressing up).

Only now it looks like we'll be going in June, due to possible work conflicts.

 

[Homesick for Disney]

Well, it appears that we are going in June. I’d all but set my mind on October, figuring the lighter crowds and MNSSHP would make it a wonderful trip. Then I checked with my school’s director to make sure that we are in fact having a fall break next year.

Turns out she’s not so sure. We may and we may not, and she doesn’t know when we’ll have a set calendar. So, that kind of seals the deal for June. If we’re going to go this summer, I need to book before the end of April to get my free dining pin. I’m worried that if I wait, we’ll wind up not having a fall break, and then we won’t be able to go until next summer. I’m pretty sure it would be cruel to make Josie wait that long.

We have yet to decide where we’re staying. I was thinking of going with a moderate for this trip, but then I got to thinking that Josie would really appreciate the giant characters at the values, so I think we’ll go with one of those. This weekend, we plan on showing her the 3 All-Stars and letting her choose the one she thinks looks the best. I have a feeling she’ll go with ASM. Does anyone know if they do the activities in the afternoon like ASMu? We really like watching the movies in the evenings by the pool.

So here’s our itinerary. If you’ve gone the first week of June before, I’d love to hear how the crowds were, any tips you have, etc.

Tuesday, May 31: drive to Ocala, stay in a hotel for the night

Wednesday, June 1: get up early, drive to Disney, check in at resort and head to MK for Josie’s first view of the castle!

Thursday, June 2: DHS and Fantasmic!

Friday, June 3: EPCOT

Saturday, June 4: AK and then DTD

Sunday, June 5: MK with EMH

Monday, June 6: EPCOT and then home

I like for my trips to have an order, a feel to them. I like to begin at Magic Kingdom and end at EPCOT. I had this itinerary set up a little better, but then realized that I hadn’t put us in DHS on Fantasmic day. We haven’t done Fantasmic in a couple of years, so it’s a must. I just hate that we’ll spend our last (and only) day at DHS on the second day of our trip. That seems too early to say goodbye to a park. I suppose we could always park hop, but I feel like we might wind up wasting a lot of time that way. Opinions?

I’ll be back later with our dining choices, although they won’t be that exciting as we’ll be doing quick service for this trip.

Also, I found pics of our trip to DL. I’ll leave you with a couple…

 

[Corrine 1973]

I think it will be fine. Everything will be new to her that and so excited. And don't think of it as saying goodbye to DHS, think of it as byebye for now.

Now that you have your dates down, you will be overlapping with our trip for a couple of days. Plus we will be at MK (6/1) on the same day. Hope to see you around.