It really IS a wonderful place . . .

[olafgypsy]

I wasn't going to write a trip report. Don't get me wrong: I LOVE reading other peoples' trip reports (usually as a lurker) and found them an amazing source of info when I was planning this last trip (shout-out to Duggette and AmazingAct21!), but . . .

I have a history of starting travel blogs and trip reports and such, then abandoning them in the middle.

I KNOW. So awful.

But here's the thing, guys:

I've been suffering MAJOR Disney withdrawal ever since getting back two weeks ago. Not even the Christmas holidays are helping.

I figure the only cure is a trip report, which will allow me to re-live my family's Disney adventures for a month or 6 . . . and will hopefully be just as helpful to some other family planning a trip as so many Disboarders' trip reports were to me.

I solemnly swear to do my best to update regularly . . . but it will probably be in huge bursts with weeks or months in between. That's just kind of how I roll. You have been warned.

So here goes nothing!

First, some introductions are in order. The cast of this trip report, in no particular order.

Here's me and the hubby:



My hubby: Stay-at-home dad (the best father ever!) and pretty much a Disney virgin before this . . . unless you count a trip back in the mid-80's as a kid, which he barely remembers.

Favorite Movie: The Fox and the Hound
Favorite Park: EPCOT
Favorite Ride(s): Spaceship Earth and Test Track (he's a history buff and a motor head, so it figures)

Me: freelance curriculum writer / editor / instructional designer and an obsessive planner. (Seriously: I thought NOBODY planned more obsessively than me . . . and then I found the Disboards).

Favorite Movie: Mulan / Lilo and Stitch (It's a tie!)
Favorite Park: Animal Kingdom
Favorite Ride: Peter Pan's Flight

I should note that I was the Disney tour guide for our group of 10 (and on some days, 11).

And then there's our son.

He's 21 months old. He's a big cuddle bug and a super sweet kiddo. He's also the world's most serious toddler, hates strangers and loud noises, and loves quiet activities where he can examine small moving parts, read books aloud to himself (in babble-speak) or sort and categorize objects for hours at a time. Not gonna lie: I was REALLY worried about how he'd take to Disney. (Spoiler alert: I shouldn't have been

SeriousDude's Favorite Movie: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (okay, so it's not a movie, but hey, he loves it!)
SD's Favorite Park: EPCOT (It has Palmiers!)
SD's Favorite Ride: Spaceship Earth

I realize that I have 8 more intros to do, but it's 1:17 a.m. in my world. Yeah, I AM an extreme night owl, but even I have to hit the hay some time. So the rest of the intros will have to wait.

 

[olafgypsy]

Let's Meet Them at the Airport

 

[olafgypsy]

I have more intros to do, but let's meet them as we did that day a few weeks ago . . . when we showed up at our local airport on a snowy Saturday for our FIRST WHOLE-FAMILY DISNEY VACATION!!

This was a big deal because my parents never took us to Disney when we were kids. They had five of us, and I think they just knew the limits of two pairs of hands vs. 5 kids in a crowded theme park. But now that we are all adults, THIS. WAS. HAPPENING, baby! And we'd bring OUR kids, but we'd have an 8 adult to two child ratio, so we'd outnumber 'em!

My hubby and I woke up at the early-for-us hour of 7 a.m. to make our 10:15 flight. Our toddler usually sleeps 'til 8:30 or 9, so we showered and got ready first, trying to let him sleep in as long as possible. But at 7:45, we just had to wake him up.

He was pretty unhappy about it, but I think he sensed there was something exciting happening. Why was mommy waking him instead of letting him act as a human alarm clock? And getting him dressed right away instead of letting him lounge in his pajamas all morning? And why were we heading straight for the car and having milk and cheerios in the car seat while daddy scraped the ice and snow off the window? And why was everyone so HAPPY to be awake at this ungodly hour when normally we are NOT morning people? Clearly, something was up!

So we headed for the airport, and things only got more weird for my little guy, because those only-on-weekend people, GRANDMA and GRANDPA were there!



Here's grandma (the non-furry one), my mom. Loves: books, cooking, and travel; hates: roller coasters, mixing up the salad and regular fork, and magazines where you can't tell the difference between the articles and the ads. She fell in LOVE with Disney World on a mom-daughter trip six years ago.

Favorite Movie: Lady and the Tramp
Favorite Park: Animal Kingdom
Favorite Ride: Kali River Rapids



Grandpa is the older gentleman here. Loves: reading next to his electric fireplace while wearing furry slippers and drinking a glass of wine from 7 - 9 p.m. every night, his grandsons, Scotch; hates: not being able to read next to his electric fireplace while wearing furry slippers and drinking a glass of wine from 7 - 9 p.m. every night, spending money.

Hm. How did we ever convince him to go to Disney World? (Well, did I mention he loves his grandsons?:

Favorite Movie: The Gnome Mobile
Favorite Park: Epcot
Favorite Ride: Spaceship Earth

Yup, my parents were at the airport ahead of everyone, probably 30 minutes ahead of when they really needed to be because my mom can NOT relax on travel day until she GETS TO TO THE GATE. Even then, until she is physically ON the plane she remains pretty convinced that we are going to MISS THE FLIGHT. Yes, even when we're sitting AT the gate.

Needless to say, she was extremely tense when my sis, her busband, and their son were not at the check-in desk for our airline at precisely 8:15 a.m. In fact, they weren't even there at 8:20!

Uh-oh? Will we miss the flight? Dunh dunh DUNH . . .