Elevationist
Princess No-Pants
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2004
Princess Billie and Her Royal Court
(Counting Down Until a 2017 Family Reunion and the Princess 5K!)
A February 2017 Pre-Trip Report
Hey, ya'll! Thaaaat's right, it's time for another @Elevationist pre-trip report!
So for those of you playing at home, I have me a group of NINE people this time (including myself). That's just one person away from double-digits. I need a drink just thinking about it. Don't get me wrong, I'm totes excited and thrilled that everybody is coming! But for my little introverted only-child single-lady solo-traveling self, it's definitely going to be different, and I'm not entirely sure what to expect! It'll certainly be an ADVENTURE, though!
WDW planning is my life. I work as a travel agent and my favorite part of my job are my Walt Disney World clients. I live in South Carolina, a mere 5-hour drive from WDW, but despite that fact I typically can still only do 1-2 trips each year. Because, like, bills and responsibilities and adulting and stuff. I am a single gal (bordering on old cat lady status), but I don't let that hold me back from going "home" and enjoying the one place on the whole planet where I feel truly content and in my element... DISNEY WORLD!
I've been putting off starting this PTR for a while now, primarily because everything about this trip has been so overwhelming! I've never planned a personal trip for such a large group before, and it's been an eye-opener, that's for sure! I'll do my best to get "cast" profiles together for everybody on this ride! And I do hope you'll join me, and keep me company as I while away the months, weeks, days, and hours until my crazy Family Reunion and Princess 5K trip to Walt Disney World!
THE DETAILS:
Who: Myself, my Aunt Debby and Uncle Mark, his sister Cheryl and her Fiance Larry, my Cousin Nick and his wife Alex and their daughter Ryann, and family friend Dorethea.
What: My 13th visit to Walt Disney World!
When: February 20-25, 2017
Where: Disney's All-Star Movies Resort (in five Preferred Rooms)
Why: To lead my wacky family on a Disney adventure, and to accomplish my fitness goal of completing a 5K without dying.
THE CAST:
ME: Billie, 35 years old
A little background: On January 1st, 2016, I was 6'0" and 370 lbs. Well, I'm still 6'0", but I'm nowhere near that weight anymore. My New Year's resolution was to drop some weight and get healthier, and one of my motivating factors was that I decided that I wanted to be able to complete a 5K, and that I wanted that 5K to be a RunDisney event. So I chose the 2017 Princess Half-Marathon weekend at Walt Disney World as my venue for said 5K, cut the carbs out of my life, and took my big butt to the gym!
So basically, this trip started as a quick solo outing for me to accomplish my 5K RunDisney goals. I'm a frequent solo traveler... I often admit that I actually prefer it to traveling with companions! That being said, the biggest group I'd ever done WDW with was 3 people including myself. Normally I'm all about being on my own or with small groups...
AUNT & UNCLE: Debby and Mark
...And so then my Aunt Debby and Uncle Mark, who accompanied me to WDW in December 2015 and had a fabulous time, they announced that they were ready to go back with me. So I told them about the little trip I had planned for the Princess 5K, and they loved it, and wanted to come and cheer me on. Excellent, let's do this!...
FRIEND: Dorethea (CANCELLED ON 11/15/16)
...And so THEN my Aunt Debby tells me that her friend / surrogate-daughter would like to join us, as she's a huge Mickey Mouse lover, has never been to Disney, and wants to do the Princess 5K with me. Sure, bring her along, sounds fun!...
COUSINS: Nick, Alex, and Ryann
...And THEN Aunt Debby tells me that her son and his wife and their daughter (her only grandbaby who she hadn't seen in years) would like to join us! Oh, and that my cousin's wife wants to do the Princess 5K with me and Dorethea. Yep, okay, let's do that too!...
FAMILY: Cheryl and Larry (CANCELLED ON 10/4/16)
...And THEN my Uncle Mark's sister and her fiance ask if they can get in on the fun, and join us! Yeah, sure, why not?! Let's make it a big ol' family reunion!
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Update - 11/15/16: Down to 6 people total now!
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