PB and Jelly's Holiday Surprise!

[PeanutButterMom]

(I tried to think of a funny title. If one comes to me, I reserve the right to change to said hilarity )

I don't post on the DIS often, but I have some super awesome fun times Disney Facebook friends. I really want to try my hand at COMPLETING a Trip Report, since I'm not so good with the follow-through. However, PDD (post-Disney depression) combined with I-don't-want-to-do-work-itis has led me to try my hand. So sit back, relax, and enjoy our ride! (unless you're on a stool, in which case, don't lean back. Then you'll fall over and I'll feel bad and also guilty since you were just following orders).

 

[PeanutButterMom]

Cast Member #1 - ME! My name is Heather, and this is my 6th Disney trip. I am a HUGE WDW fan. I'm also the #1 planner of all the things. I have to have all the information at all times. I am very much Type-A and also very much have the ADHD-inattentive (so, I have lots of things in my head and can spew out anything at any time, pretty much). I love everything nostalgic and my favorite park is Magic Kingdom, hands down.



Cast Member #2 - DH. DH is NOT so much into the Disney, prior to this trip (more on that later!). He hates Florida weather, gets really anxious in crowds, would rather spend money on silly things like home remodeling and Jeeps. This is his second Disney trip. The first trip being last year, our first family trip. He considers WDW every 3-ish years to be more than enough, but I obviously had much different plans. He also loves pin trading and Star Wars.



Cast Member #3 - PeanutButter (henceforth known as PB). PB is 8.5, is extraordinarily smart, and has her own fair share of quirks. She's not into Princesses, could care less about Frozen, and is HUGE into Big Hero 6, especially Honey Lemon. She's not one to step out of her comfort zone, hates surprises, and can watch 6+ hours of Pokemon videos if you don't stop her. She began pin-trading this trip, and is pretty much now obsessed with that, so much so that she spoke to another human and initiated a pin trade. It was a big deal. Her favorite rides are Rockin Roller Coaster and the PeopleMover. yeah.



Cast Member #4 - Jelly (because what's PB without the J?) Jelly is 5.5, loves hockey, Minecraft, lego, and Sonic the Hedgehog. He knows his way around electronics and can snag your phone and pull up his favorute youtube channel before you can say "password". He says his favorite rides are Tower of Terror and Test Track.

 

[PeanutButterMom]

 

[PeanutButterMom]

So, I had been devising a way to get myself back to the World almost immediately upon returned from our October 2013 trip. DH had originally said MAYBE he would discuss Star Wars weekend in, oh, 2017 or so. I dropped about 14,000 hints regarding Osborne Lights at Christmastime, including wistful sighs about how I couldn't imagine life without experiencing them at least one time. Ahem. Hey, what can I say? Sometimes I lay it on a little thick. We began discussing December 2015. Good plan, I thought to myself. But that's 2 years away! Imagine all the crazy plans I'll concoct between now (January 2014) and then. THEN I read on the Interwebz (which are always right and never tell lies or rumors that aren't 100% factual) that 2014 might just be the last year for Osborne Lights. AHA! I thought to myself! I have an in to get back to the World even sooner! ... ... ... ... I mean, uh, I was devasted by this news and was very distraught. I did what any logical person would do... I ran straight to David's DVC request and put in a request.

What, you thought I would talk to my husband first, like a grown-up adult lady? Well, that's silly. Not without a plan! So, I waited for a whole day! Well, maybe a few hours. I told DH about the sad news about Osborne Lights. I put on my best puppy dog face and promised I wouldn't come up with any other hairbrained ideas (at least, not for a while). He was totally on board, which was good, considering I had already secured a 3-night stay at.... wait for it...



BAY LAKE TOWER!!!! Fulfilling DH's wish to stay on the monorail and away from buses as much as possible and also managing to book on his birthday weekend!

So we had a date. We had a room. Now, DH had one more request - that it be a complete and total surprise for the kids!

Our trip is 10.5 months away - Will I be able to contain my excitement? Will I be able to pack everything I want to do into a 3-night long weekend? Will I drown myself in Touring Plans and spreadsheets? Stay tuned...

 

[cstorm65]

Looking forward to hearing about your trip!

 

[PeanutButterMom]

Looking forward to hearing about your trip!

Thanks Jon!

 

[PeanutButterMom]

So, anyone who has ever met me knows I'm a planner, and I like to hyper-focus on things. I really think this is why I love WDW so much - SO much changes from year to year, there are SO many attractions and restaurants and experiences to think about that it really keeps my attention longer than most things.

With our first family trip last year, PB and Jelly knew EVERY step of the process. We watched the planning videos religiously. They looked at maps and watched youtube videos, the whole nine yards. We wanted a different experience this time, and DH really wanted input on the planning Not being able to talk about the trip at all at home, I spent the next 10 months talking NONSTOP about it on Disney facebook groups

Oh, and also adding 1 more night and changing flights about 30 times so that we would have 5 full park days. So much for a relaxing trip

The ONLY people who knew about our trip ahead of time were: my kids' teachers, as PB had schoolwork that would need to be brought with her (1 week pre-trip), my MIL, who would be feeding our cat, my mom, because she's awesome and lives 5 states away and therefore can't ruin the surprise , and our neighbor who we told the day before we left so that they wouldn't be weirded out by us suddenly disappearing.

I set the stage by telling the kids that I would have to be traveling for business to Houston. They cried. They whined. They begged me to stay home. The night before I explained that they would be driving me to the airport before school so that Daddy would have the mom-mobile while I was gone. Change of routine temporarily put PB into a tailspin. "I HATE CHANGES OF PLANS" she screeched with a blanket of her head. Well, this should be interesting...
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Our flight is at 9:00am on Friday, December 12th. This means getting the kids up an hour early and leaving the house around 6AM. I pack maniacally the night before and get the 4 suitcases (seriously. I'm an overpacker) hidden in the back of the van. I smuggle McKenna and Freddy the elf into our carry-on.


I bribe the children with McDonald's breakfast to get them into the airport. We wait for Daddy to park the van in extended parking and hoof it to the terminal with our suitcases. We watch the security line for a while because it's a LONG wait for Daddy.


And then it's time for the big reveal:

http://youtu.be/OHSrQQNfuwQ

(PS, Anyone who wants to tell me how to embed a video, please share. I'm dumb)

SURPRISE! PB & JELLY ARE HEADING TO DISNEY! Yes, Jelly, you're missing school. Yes, PB, your teacher gave you homework