"This is NOT the once in a lifetime trip I was hoping for!" - (NEW x2 5/19) - The DIS Discussion Forums

ronnmel · 01-28-2013, 01:57 PM

It was suppose to be the trip of a lifetime. The trip where we did things we have never done and will probably never get to do again, like stay at a deluxe, and visit during the Holidays. It was our baby’s first trip. It was suppose to be MAGICAL!

It wasn’t.

Hey everyone! Welcome to my trip report. I’m sorry to start it off on such a bad note, but as those who’ve followed me before know, I like to tell the whole truth, even the not-so-perfect parts. Check out my Disneymoon trip report, you'll see. Zombie Apocalypse and Pixie Dust - A 2 Weeks Disneymoon Trip Report

I feel like I survived the trip instead of living it. We battled the crowds (the crowds! Oh, the crowds!), and the sickness (3 of us, not at the same time). We were woefully unprepared to deal with all that comes with traveling with a baby (despite our best effort in doing the appropriate research). We tried, unsuccessfully, to find our rhythm between slow (due to the baby and our health) and fast (for our love of thrill rides as well as keeping up with the teenager). We faced disappointment and mishaps (minor, but they add up!). We thought we were knowledgeable enough in all things WDW to deal with anything that could be thrown our way, and boy were we wrong! It probably didn’t help that we took all the rules we knew about good park touring and threw them out the window. We paid for that.

Ok, now that we’ve talked about what went wrong, let’s push the negative aside and focus on the positive, shall we?

We went to wonderful restaurants and ate yummy snacks (and took pictures!). We met new characters and old favorites, and the baby was fascinated by them (we got cute baby pictures!). We went on lots of attractions and took silly ride photos. We found a new favorite spot to watch Illuminations (with pictures, of course!). We stayed at two beautifully themed, picture-worthy, resorts. We saw the spectacular Osborne Dancing Lights and stopped at every Photopass person there. All that, and more! Did I mention we took pictures? Lots of them! I’m no professional photographer, so I was going for quantity over quality, but that’s okay, right?

After we came back from the trip I was feeling quite bummed. I couldn’t stop thinking about all the things we missed. That is not how I wanted to remember our trip, so I decided to shift my focus. I wrote down a list of all my “Disney accomplishments”, all the things we DID do. For this TR at the end of every day I’ll write down our accomplishments for that day. Turns out, we accomplished a lot!

So, who are these people I’m talking about?

Let’s start with the youngest, and the cutest, Claudia a.k.a. Peanut

She is our sweet little baby girl. She was 6 months at the time of the trip. She’s a relatively easy baby, as long as you keep her occupied. She smiled at everyone who paid attention to her during the trip. I think her favorite is Mickey Mouse because we watch “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” together.

Then there is the teenager, Otaku (not her real name)

She is my husband’s 13 years old daughter, so my step-daughter. She’s into zombies, Japan, Anime, K-POP, reading and writing, and not so much into girly stuff. Or so she thought. It’s fun to see her grow up and find her own style. She's not so much into Disney and just followed along. Her favorite character is Mulan (because she is Asian and a warrior). Her favorite park is Epcot because of the Japan pavilion.

My husband, Ron.

He is blessed with Filipino genes so he does not look at all like he is approaching 40. He is almost as obsessed with Disney as I am and says that if we win the lottery we will spend a month in Disney/Orlando. When we are not talking about Disney we love watching TV shows together, such as Big Bang Theory and Doctor Who. He loves thrill rides and his favorite character is Donald Duck. He loves Disney food and spent the weeks leading to our trip looking at the Disney Food Blog and various restaurant menus trying to decide what he would eat.

And then there’s me, Mel.

I’m in my early thirties and an elementary school teacher, though I would love to be a SAHM. I’m the planner of the group and spend most of my free time on the DIS and other Disney websites. I’m quite shy and have a hard time starting conversations, but I love acting silly and meeting characters. There are too many things I love about Walt Disney World to list here, but I can say Tower of Terror is at the top of my list. My favorite character is Stitch. I discovered a love for pin trading this trip.

That’s it for the WHO. Here’s the rest of the basic info you need to know before we start this puppy!

WHAT : A trip to Walt Disney World, of course!
WHEN : We flew in on December 31st, 2012, and went back home 10 days later on January 10, 2013.
WHERE : We spent the first two nights in a Little Mermaid room at Art of Animation, then the following 8 nights in a garden view room at Beach Club.
WHY: Basically I got a little extra money from my mom passing away and decided to spend it on a Disney trip. You should go read my PTR In Loving Memory... We’re Going Deluxe! - A Jan 2013 PTR for more details. It will explain more why this was supposed to be the “trip of a lifetime”.

Was it our best trip? No, but we made the most of it. I hope you follow along as I relive the good, the bad, and the ugly (not much ugly, I promise).

ronnmel · 01-28-2013, 01:58 PM

mickeystoontown · 01-28-2013, 02:20 PM

I'm here! Love the intros!

SAT887 · 01-28-2013, 02:41 PM

I'm here!! Love your first picture!

PhoenixStrength · 01-28-2013, 02:48 PM

I'm here!!!! Love the pictures in the intro. Sorry this wasn't the trip you expected, but it's great that you wrote down what you did accomplish and found it was a lot of things.

Can't wait to read all about your trip!!

gracer9977 · 01-28-2013, 02:51 PM

I'm In!!! Looking forward to hearing all about your trip!!

Curiouser&curiouser! · 01-28-2013, 03:01 PM

Count me in!

FortForever · 01-28-2013, 03:09 PM

Great intro! Looking forward to reading the rest.

We were there Jan. 6th - 12th so particularly interested to hear your take on the parks on the days we had in common.

luckylady · 01-28-2013, 03:11 PM

I'm in.

photographymom517 · 01-28-2013, 03:16 PM

I'm here of course!!!!!!!!!

As you know I had one of those not-so-magical trips myself! But I took your advice & am focusing only on the positive!!!

Can't wait to hear more about your trip!!!

Disneychix · 01-28-2013, 03:19 PM

I like your 'tell-all' tale. And of course your adorable DD!

I'm here to read along!

wiigirl · 01-28-2013, 03:20 PM

I am here....can't wait to read more!

Marsheliz · 01-28-2013, 03:27 PM

AHH, great start!

I am sorry to hear about your mom... Noone can replace mama! I currently am going through my mom being sick w/ Stage 4 cancer... We actually took her with us this past September b/c I knew it was once in a lifetime, that she probably wouldnt go anywhere with us "big" again.

Can't wait to hear about your trip.

bethk78 · 01-28-2013, 03:32 PM

Yay, another ronnmel TR! Can't wait to read all about your latest trip. I'm curious to see how the crowd levels changed from New Year's Eve through your departure date. Was this your step-daughter's first trip to WDW? Hopefully she grows to love it like you guys do. Looking forward to your next update.

lablady · 01-28-2013, 03:52 PM

I'm in ! Can't wait to hear all about your trip! I've never been brave enough to travel during Christmas break.......

01-28-2013, 01:57 PM	#1
ronnmel DIS Veteran Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: QC, Canada Posts: 3,466	"This is NOT the once in a lifetime trip I was hoping for!" - (NEW x2 5/19) It was suppose to be the trip of a lifetime. The trip where we did things we have never done and will probably never get to do again, like stay at a deluxe, and visit during the Holidays. It was our baby’s first trip. It was suppose to be MAGICAL! It wasn’t. Hey everyone! Welcome to my trip report. I’m sorry to start it off on such a bad note, but as those who’ve followed me before know, I like to tell the whole truth, even the not-so-perfect parts. Check out my Disneymoon trip report, you'll see. Zombie Apocalypse and Pixie Dust - A 2 Weeks Disneymoon Trip Report I feel like I survived the trip instead of living it. We battled the crowds (the crowds! Oh, the crowds!), and the sickness (3 of us, not at the same time). We were woefully unprepared to deal with all that comes with traveling with a baby (despite our best effort in doing the appropriate research). We tried, unsuccessfully, to find our rhythm between slow (due to the baby and our health) and fast (for our love of thrill rides as well as keeping up with the teenager). We faced disappointment and mishaps (minor, but they add up!). We thought we were knowledgeable enough in all things WDW to deal with anything that could be thrown our way, and boy were we wrong! It probably didn’t help that we took all the rules we knew about good park touring and threw them out the window. We paid for that. Ok, now that we’ve talked about what went wrong, let’s push the negative aside and focus on the positive, shall we? We went to wonderful restaurants and ate yummy snacks (and took pictures!). We met new characters and old favorites, and the baby was fascinated by them (we got cute baby pictures!). We went on lots of attractions and took silly ride photos. We found a new favorite spot to watch Illuminations (with pictures, of course!). We stayed at two beautifully themed, picture-worthy, resorts. We saw the spectacular Osborne Dancing Lights and stopped at every Photopass person there. All that, and more! Did I mention we took pictures? Lots of them! I’m no professional photographer, so I was going for quantity over quality, but that’s okay, right? After we came back from the trip I was feeling quite bummed. I couldn’t stop thinking about all the things we missed. That is not how I wanted to remember our trip, so I decided to shift my focus. I wrote down a list of all my “Disney accomplishments”, all the things we DID do. For this TR at the end of every day I’ll write down our accomplishments for that day. Turns out, we accomplished a lot! So, who are these people I’m talking about? Let’s start with the youngest, and the cutest, Claudia a.k.a. Peanut She is our sweet little baby girl. She was 6 months at the time of the trip. She’s a relatively easy baby, as long as you keep her occupied. She smiled at everyone who paid attention to her during the trip. I think her favorite is Mickey Mouse because we watch “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” together. Then there is the teenager, Otaku (not her real name) She is my husband’s 13 years old daughter, so my step-daughter. She’s into zombies, Japan, Anime, K-POP, reading and writing, and not so much into girly stuff. Or so she thought. It’s fun to see her grow up and find her own style. She's not so much into Disney and just followed along. Her favorite character is Mulan (because she is Asian and a warrior). Her favorite park is Epcot because of the Japan pavilion. My husband, Ron. He is blessed with Filipino genes so he does not look at all like he is approaching 40. He is almost as obsessed with Disney as I am and says that if we win the lottery we will spend a month in Disney/Orlando. When we are not talking about Disney we love watching TV shows together, such as Big Bang Theory and Doctor Who. He loves thrill rides and his favorite character is Donald Duck. He loves Disney food and spent the weeks leading to our trip looking at the Disney Food Blog and various restaurant menus trying to decide what he would eat. And then there’s me, Mel. I’m in my early thirties and an elementary school teacher, though I would love to be a SAHM. I’m the planner of the group and spend most of my free time on the DIS and other Disney websites. I’m quite shy and have a hard time starting conversations, but I love acting silly and meeting characters. There are too many things I love about Walt Disney World to list here, but I can say Tower of Terror is at the top of my list. My favorite character is Stitch. I discovered a love for pin trading this trip. That’s it for the WHO. Here’s the rest of the basic info you need to know before we start this puppy! WHAT : A trip to Walt Disney World, of course! WHEN : We flew in on December 31st, 2012, and went back home 10 days later on January 10, 2013. WHERE : We spent the first two nights in a Little Mermaid room at Art of Animation, then the following 8 nights in a garden view room at Beach Club. WHY: Basically I got a little extra money from my mom passing away and decided to spend it on a Disney trip. You should go read my PTR In Loving Memory... We’re Going Deluxe! - A Jan 2013 PTR for more details. It will explain more why this was supposed to be the “trip of a lifetime”. Was it our best trip? No, but we made the most of it. I hope you follow along as I relive the good, the bad, and the ugly (not much ugly, I promise). __________________ "This is NOT the once in a lifetime trip I was hoping for!" - A Jan 2013 TR In Loving Memory... We’re Going Deluxe! - A Jan 2013 PTR Zombie Apocalypse and Pixie Dust - A 2 Weeks Disneymoon Trip Report “Our Disneymoon PTR - plus wedding TR and Aug 2009 TR Last edited by ronnmel; 05-19-2013 at 10:25 PM.

01-28-2013, 01:58 PM	#2
ronnmel DIS Veteran Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: QC, Canada Posts: 3,466	Art of Animation Review Part 1 - Lobby Part 2 - Little Mermaid Room Part 3 - Little Mermaid & Lion King Areas Part 4 - Finding Nemo Area Part 5 - Cars Area Ink & Pink Shop and Landscape of Flavor food court post 1 Courtesy of photographymom517 Ink & Pink Shop and Landscape of Flavor food court post 2 Courtesy of photographymom517 Beach Club Review Beach Club Review part 1 - Common Areas Beach Club Review part 2 - Garden View Room Prologue The One With The Back Story December 31st, 2012 Day 1 part 1 - The One When We Fly To Orlando Day 1 part 2 - The One With the Hunger Day 1 part 3 - The One With The Fight January 1st, 2013 Day 2 part 1 - The One Where They Take It Slow Day 2 part 2 - The One Where We Repeat History Day 2 part 3 - The One With The Beautiful Park January 2nd, 2013 Day 3 part 1 - The One Where We Eat With Fish Day 3 part 2 - The One With The Lost Key Day 3 part 3 - The One With The Turkey Leg Day 3 part 4 - The One With The Dancing Lights Help Please - Osborne Lights Video January 3rd, 2013 Day 4 part 1 - The One Where We Break All The Rules Day 4 part 2 - The One With The Train Ride Day 4 part 3 - The One Where We Hit The WALL... of People Day 4 part 4 - The One With The Modes of Transportation Day 4 part 5 - The One With DUMBO! Day 4 part 6 - The One With The BREAD! January 4th, 2013 Day 5 part 1 - The One Where Otaku Surprises Herself Day 5 part 2 - The One With The Chocolate Incident Day 5 part 3 - The One With The Change Of Plans Day 5 part 4 - The One With The Active Lion Day 5 part 5 - The One With The Teenage Attitude Day 5 part 6 - The One Where She Gets Her Smile Back Day 5 part 7 - The One Where We Visit France And Morocco Day 5 part 8 - The One With JAPAN!!! January 5th, 2013 Day 6 part 1 - The One Where She Gets Proven Wrong Day 6 part 2 - The One With The Yummy Breakfast Day 6 part 3 - The One With The Shopping Spree Day 6 part 4 - The One With The Dancing Water Day 6 part 5 - The One With The Statues Day 6 part 6 - The One With The Best Illuminations Viewing Spot January 6th, 2013 Day 7 part 1 - The One Where We Cant See The Castle Day 7 part 2 - The One Where We Go Under The Sea Day 7 part 2 (contd) - The One Where We Go Under The Sea Day 7 part 3 - The One Where Elephants Fly Day 7 part 4 - The One Where Its A Small And Sleepy World Day 7 part 5 - The One With Mamans Favorite Alien Day 7 part 6 The One With The Criss-Crossing January 7th, 2013 January 8th, 2013 January 9th, 2013 Real Life Update April 14 April 20 Skydiving __________________ "This is NOT the once in a lifetime trip I was hoping for!" - A Jan 2013 TR In Loving Memory... We’re Going Deluxe! - A Jan 2013 PTR Zombie Apocalypse and Pixie Dust - A 2 Weeks Disneymoon Trip Report “Our Disneymoon PTR - plus wedding TR and Aug 2009 TR Last edited by ronnmel; 05-19-2013 at 10:25 PM.

01-28-2013, 02:20 PM	#3
mickeystoontown DIS Veteran Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Bayou Country, La. Posts: 21,760	I'm here! Love the intros! __________________ Excuse me...you'll need to see security. What has Mickeystoontown done now? Trip Report: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2940840 (includes 2 CBR stays and a Disney cruise) Pre-Trip Report: Sit down! Buckle up! & Hang On! Mickeystoontown's Gang is going to Walley World!: http://www.disboards.com/showthread....5#post47915565

01-28-2013, 02:41 PM	#4
SAT887 DIS Veteran Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: NH Posts: 2,066	I'm here!! Love your first picture! __________________ Sarah 2014 FB Group!! A page for the Ultra Planners to Plan together! How to get your child to grow 1" in 120 days! A PTR.... The Dec 2012 PTR/TR Combo! Completed

01-28-2013, 02:48 PM	#5
PhoenixStrength Waiting for my fairytale! Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Maryland Posts: 2,183	I'm here!!!! Love the pictures in the intro. Sorry this wasn't the trip you expected, but it's great that you wrote down what you did accomplish and found it was a lot of things. Can't wait to read all about your trip!! __________________ Aug 97 Off Site Aug 01 Off Site Sept 08 POP Nov 10 Off Site Feb 12 POP Dec 12 POP He was Bitten, Bitten by the Bug, a Nov-Dec '12 TR November-December 2012 PTR

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01-28-2013, 02:51 PM	#6
gracer9977 Happiness is Disney Join Date: May 2006 Location: Hillsboro, NH Posts: 246	I'm In!!! Looking forward to hearing all about your trip!! __________________ Me 39 DH 40 DD 7 DS 5 DisneyLand 1973-78, First trip to the World stayed offsite 1988, 1992 First time on Disney 2006 (CBR), 2011 (POR)

01-28-2013, 03:01 PM	#7
Curiouser&curiouser! Mouseketeer Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 467	Count me in!

01-28-2013, 03:09 PM	#8
FortForever Disney since Day 1 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Florida - Home of the Mouse Posts: 795	Great intro! Looking forward to reading the rest. We were there Jan. 6th - 12th so particularly interested to hear your take on the parks on the days we had in common.

01-28-2013, 03:11 PM	#9
luckylady DIS Veteran Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: NC Posts: 626	I'm in. __________________ Me Luckylady (53) DH (60) DS#1 (33)DD (25) and the "baby" DS#2 (23)

01-28-2013, 03:16 PM	#10
photographymom517 DIS Veteran Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: PA Posts: 1,377	I'm here of course!!!!!!!!! As you know I had one of those not-so-magical trips myself! But I took your advice & am focusing only on the positive!!! Can't wait to hear more about your trip!!! __________________ Mommy's Magical Memories (Winter 2012 PTR) Preggo, pennies, and pastries! September 2011 TR Cherish Yesterday * Dream Tomorrow * Live Today

01-28-2013, 03:19 PM	#11
Disneychix Is it summer yet? Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 3,442	I like your 'tell-all' tale. And of course your adorable DD! I'm here to read along! __________________ Me DH DS DS "You ain't never had a friend like MEEEEEE" May 2010 TR-39th B-Day full of surprises! Come read my December 2009 TR!!

01-28-2013, 03:20 PM	#12
wiigirl DIS Veteran Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 4,537	I am here....can't wait to read more! __________________

01-28-2013, 03:27 PM	#13
Marsheliz DIS Veteran Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: South Carolina Posts: 717	AHH, great start! I am sorry to hear about your mom... Noone can replace mama! I currently am going through my mom being sick w/ Stage 4 cancer... We actually took her with us this past September b/c I knew it was once in a lifetime, that she probably wouldnt go anywhere with us "big" again. Can't wait to hear about your trip. __________________ Me ( 28) DH (29) DS (4) DS(1) Few times as a child In Memory of My Mama- 10-15-56- 04-10-13 Second Star to the Right And Straight On till Morning April 2006- Offsite DH ( was BF) first time December 2005- Offsite ( Engaged at Magic Kingdom) December 2007- Offsite ( Pregnant with Lawson) February 2011-Disney All Star Sports ( Pregnant with Landen) September 2012-1 night at Port Orleans FQ September 2012- 1 night at Art of Animation September 2013- Caribbean Beach Resort

01-28-2013, 03:32 PM	#14
bethk78 Earning My Ears Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Oregon Posts: 39	Yay, another ronnmel TR! Can't wait to read all about your latest trip. I'm curious to see how the crowd levels changed from New Year's Eve through your departure date. Was this your step-daughter's first trip to WDW? Hopefully she grows to love it like you guys do. Looking forward to your next update. __________________ Beth

01-28-2013, 03:52 PM	#15
lablady Mouseketeer Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Alaska Posts: 155	I'm in ! Can't wait to hear all about your trip! I've never been brave enough to travel during Christmas break....... __________________ <Shawna>

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