As the start of the school year is ushered in, so begins the "unofficial" end of summer. I'm not sure exactly how I feel about it yet. I remember those days when I was in school and I would spend the vast majority of my summer vacation with my brother and sister and the weekends either camping, or at the park or at the lake/beach. Now as an adult, I see the painful other side of the "highly anticipated" summer vacation. As a parent, I need to stay blissfully aware of what my daughter is doing and making sure that she did not turn into a tv zombie. Thankfully she didn't. Being at work all day, every day didn't exactly allow for special Mommy/Daughter bonding time. This summer, being one of the hottest ones on record, allowed her to spend days on end at the local water/spray park, a few days at the beach and even a few outings with friends. Add to that our trip to Canobie Lake Park, and our 3 day mini-vacation to Six Flags, it made for a pretty good summer.
Now, as we enter a new month I am even more excited to embrace the planning of this vacation even more. I'm even thinking of adding a second trip next summer for Bella and I. This Mommy/Daughter trip has been eluding us for two years now and I'm anxious to spend the time with my baby girl. But for now, I will keep content with planning this upcoming vacation.
So, with 200+ days to go, my next obstacle is to choose the Resort. So many different ones to choose from!! I've been fortunate enough to have stayed at Disney's All-Star Music, Port Olreans Riverside (both as POR and as Dixie Landings), Pop Century, Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa and Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. I could very easily stick with Pop Century since we like it, it's extremely fun and entertaining and the price is just right. However after some hemming and hawwing, I'm thinking a change might be in order. I could spend a little more money and stay at the Caribbean Beach (in a pirate themed room perhaps) or Port Orleans French Quarter (talk about elusive...I've been wanting to try this one FOREVER!!!). Then again there is the option of paying even a little more to stay at the family suites at All-Star Music. We'd have more room to move around and not feel so claustrophobic. Then there is the option of paying even MORE money and staying Deluxe. I've dreamed of staying in a tower room at the Contemporary or a Suite at Disney's Boardwalk or even in a spacious room at the Grand Floridian, but costwise, not exactly in the family budget.
So I pose the question...is it better to stay in a less expensive room and have more money to spend, OR is it better to get a swanky, spacious room and spend a little less time or money while on vacation? Me, personally? I would rather split and do both hotel options. I think I might have to stew on this a while longer.
Welcome to our Disney Bubble
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
7.5 months and counting...First Step
Well we've decided when to go. We're thinking that April Vacation 2011 works best, however this time we'll leave a few days before that. I'm thinking in total that Bella will miss about 2 days of school. Well, two days and an 1.5 hours. Rick and I, on the other hand will need to take off about 7.5 days of work. That's a LOT!!! But I hope with this much notice that my boss will be understanding. Otherwise, my dad might be taking the kids down a few days early without us!
So 10 days...that's a long vacation! I haven't done a vacation that long since 2000 and that was before kids. I'm guessing that to avoid a total Disney overload, we'll visit Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and then take a day or two to visit the waterparks and lounge at the pool. I tend to stick to the Magic Kingdom a lot (since Bella's favorite rides are there). I'm thinking that we can devote a day each to Disney's Animal Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios, take two days to visit Universal and IOA, and then a day at the resort and then another at the waterpark(s) which will leave the other 4 days to split between Epcot and Magic Kingdom and then maybe revisiting one of the other parks. Is anyone else exhausted just reading that?
Obviously it won't happen in that order. I do know that Universal is a definite MUST! Rick would love to stay at one of the Universal Resorts, even for a night. I guess we'll have to wait and see if that's going to actually happen. But it would be nice.
Next up: Picking the resort...Oh my the choices!
So 10 days...that's a long vacation! I haven't done a vacation that long since 2000 and that was before kids. I'm guessing that to avoid a total Disney overload, we'll visit Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and then take a day or two to visit the waterparks and lounge at the pool. I tend to stick to the Magic Kingdom a lot (since Bella's favorite rides are there). I'm thinking that we can devote a day each to Disney's Animal Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios, take two days to visit Universal and IOA, and then a day at the resort and then another at the waterpark(s) which will leave the other 4 days to split between Epcot and Magic Kingdom and then maybe revisiting one of the other parks. Is anyone else exhausted just reading that?
Obviously it won't happen in that order. I do know that Universal is a definite MUST! Rick would love to stay at one of the Universal Resorts, even for a night. I guess we'll have to wait and see if that's going to actually happen. But it would be nice.
Next up: Picking the resort...Oh my the choices!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
My visits to the World: A little History
I've decided to create this blog to chronicle the next 8 months or so leading up to our next family vacation to Walt Disney World.
I've been to Walt Disney World many, many times over the last 32 years. Not a completely seasoned veteran, since I'm not able to just pick up and leave whenever I want, but I've been there enough to know the ins and outs of the resorts, the park layouts and the best food places. I'm hoping that as I create this vacation from start to finish I'll be able to expand my knowledge on what I already know about Disney and pick up new pointers to make the vacation even more enjoyable.
To give you a bit of an idea about me and my crazy family, I've included some history on my past vacations. It may be a little long, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless:
I don't remember much about that trip except that I was little and there are a few photos of me in the park which do provide evidence that I was there as a small child. In these photos I can see the front side of Peter Pan's Flight, It's a small World, Space Mountain and even the old Skyway which has long since been taken down. The photos make me smile because it was definitely a whole other world back then.
Trip #2:
My next trip was in June of 1989. This trip was somewhat memorable in two ways. First, this trip came on the heels of a very memorable year. I was 11 and was starting to feel a bit awkward at this tender age. I had recently won the Junior Achievement Award at my annual Dance Recital and I had just finished the 7th grade. We (being my sister and I) noticed that there was a suitcase in my brother's room. My mother had been packing this suitcase for weeks and I noticed that there things for me, my sister and my brother. I wondered what we were packing for and the day after school let out, we found out. We were going to Disney World!! I don't remember much about the trip except that we stayed off property at an Econo Lodge and we had 4 day passes (I believe it was called a Passport). At the time of our 89' trip, there were three theme parks. Magic Kingdom was now approaching it's 18th year in existance, Epcot had been open for 7 years and Disney's newest Park was the then-named Disney-MGM Studios.
I have lots of photographs from this trip to. It's amazing how much had changed from my first trip in 80' to this trip. I remember the theme parks and River County. The one thing I do remember was the lightening storm that went on while we were back at our hotel. We rented a car for this trip. My memories fade in and out on this one.
Trip #3:
My third trip was my first trip as an adult. Ten years had passed since my last trip. This one took place in August of 1999. I went with my now husband, Rick. 9 days/8 nights with an Unlimited Park Hopper Pass. We stayed at the then-named Dixie Landings Resort (it went through a name change in March of 2001). To this day I STILL don't know what made us (me) chose Disney World as our vacation destination. Truth be told I'm kind of glad we did. We had a lot of fun on that trip and while I didn't take a lot of pictures, I remember the long walks Rick and I took, the laughing, the joking, the acting like kids. We had a great time and it was sad when it was all over. Now looking back on it, it's amazing to think that it was almost 11 years ago!
Trip #4:
My fourth trip was a year later. My aunt was visiting the U.S for the first time and my father thought it would be a great idea to go on vacation. Imagine my surprise when he said Disney World! So in August of 2000, we visited Disney World yet again and were through right into the ongoing Millenium Celebration. It was very exciting. 9 days at the Walt Disney World Resort (we stayed in 3 rooms at Disney's All-Star Music). It was me, Rick, Rick's son Jonathan, my Dad, my Aunt, my sister and my brother. We decided to take two days and spend one at Sea World and another at Universal Studios. We had a great time. Lots of sun, fun, eating and drinking. I have a mountain of photos from this trip and I've started a scrapbook but never got around to finishing it. That's definitely a project for a day off down the line!
Trip #5:
This was a shorter trip (shorter than I was used to). Rick and I planned on a vacation to Disney in 2001, and after discussing it with some friends, we decided to do a couples trip. We planned on heading to Disney in November of 2001. With the actions that took place on 9/11/01, it looked as though all of our planning was for nothing. However, we decided to push through and go on vacation despite the relatively close timeline. Having gone to Disney within 8 weeks of that tragic day made us realize that there was still reason to have fun in life and to enjoy what we can. Disney's attendance took a nose dive during that season which was evident when we arrived and throughout those 5 days. To save money, Disney shut down portions of hotels and needed to do some remodeling work. However that left us without our original hotel choice (Port Orleans French Quarter). We were given rooms at the then-named Disney Institute. We were roomed in the Bungalow section of the resort. I don't remember a lot about this trip except that we did have fun and learned where a majority of the bathrooms were in the Magic Kingdom (long story!). Oh that and NEVER go on Kali River Rapids upon entering the park!
Trip #6:
It was a LLLLOOOONNNNNGGGGG time before we made it back to Disney. 6 years in fact. I had wanted to go back in 2003 to get married, but we had a bit of a surprise. That was in the form of our daughter, Isabella. Isabella was born in September of 2003 and right away I began grooming her to love Disney as much I did. Trip #6 took place in August of 2007. We left on a Wednesday morning, early in the morning. It was me, my dad, my mom, Rick, Bella, my sister and my nephew. Isabella was 3 and would turn 4 on this trip. I was excited to be getting back to my favorite place and I wanted to see Bella's face when we got there as well. It was an early start and we arrived early at the Orlando airport. This was the first year that the Disney's Magical Express Service was in use.
We arrived at our hotel, our home for the next 6 nights, a new resort by the name of Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa. Rick and I had known the place as the Disney Institute. We chose this resort because as a Disney Vacation Club Resort, it was the most reasonably priced. We had a 2-room Villa with full Kitchen, two bathrooms, 2 bedrooms and a living room/dining room. It was AMAZING!! Not so amazing was the fight that was to ensue between my husband and mother that would leave the tension so thick, it would haunt us for the remainder of the trip and the next two and a half years.
Trip #7:
This and the next two trips took place during what I referred to as the Year of Disney. 2008 was the year and in February of that year, I decided that I wanted a vacation redo. I wanted to apologize to my family (not that it was directly my fault) about the horrible incident that took place between Rick and my mother. That incident left a bad taste in my mouth and I knew we could do better. I started my basic planning and made the reservations...but for when??? after much hemming and hawing, I decided that May would work best. We went to Walt Disney World for 7 days/6 nights of fun in May of 2008. It was me, Rick, Isabella, Jonathan and my dad. Our resort of choice, Port Orleans Riverside. Rick and I had stayed here previously when it was known as Dixie Landings. We had a lot of fun, however the vacation took a weird turn when I started to feel less than well. It was a horrible feeling. I thought it was nerves or maybe it was thinking about work and how much would be waiting for me, but in the end it was something even I didn't expect.
We did have fun and I tried my best to enjoy it and the weather was hot but it was a dry hot, not like the humidity we experience at home. We left for home on a Tuesday and before I knew it, I was in the hospital on Thrusday having my appendix taken out. Not what I was expecting, but at least that was the reason I was not feeling well. I couldn't believe that it had ended like that. We had come back from vacation and that's how it ended. The next few weeks of recovery and settling back into routine were difficult and it was around the beginning of June that I got the first "sign" that another trip may be in order. The unfortunate thing was that Rick and my Dad had no interest in going again so soon. They thought that once a year was enough. Who are these people??
I've been to Walt Disney World many, many times over the last 32 years. Not a completely seasoned veteran, since I'm not able to just pick up and leave whenever I want, but I've been there enough to know the ins and outs of the resorts, the park layouts and the best food places. I'm hoping that as I create this vacation from start to finish I'll be able to expand my knowledge on what I already know about Disney and pick up new pointers to make the vacation even more enjoyable.
To give you a bit of an idea about me and my crazy family, I've included some history on my past vacations. It may be a little long, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless:
The beginning - Trip 1:
I don't remember much about that trip except that I was little and there are a few photos of me in the park which do provide evidence that I was there as a small child. In these photos I can see the front side of Peter Pan's Flight, It's a small World, Space Mountain and even the old Skyway which has long since been taken down. The photos make me smile because it was definitely a whole other world back then.
Trip #2:
My next trip was in June of 1989. This trip was somewhat memorable in two ways. First, this trip came on the heels of a very memorable year. I was 11 and was starting to feel a bit awkward at this tender age. I had recently won the Junior Achievement Award at my annual Dance Recital and I had just finished the 7th grade. We (being my sister and I) noticed that there was a suitcase in my brother's room. My mother had been packing this suitcase for weeks and I noticed that there things for me, my sister and my brother. I wondered what we were packing for and the day after school let out, we found out. We were going to Disney World!! I don't remember much about the trip except that we stayed off property at an Econo Lodge and we had 4 day passes (I believe it was called a Passport). At the time of our 89' trip, there were three theme parks. Magic Kingdom was now approaching it's 18th year in existance, Epcot had been open for 7 years and Disney's newest Park was the then-named Disney-MGM Studios.
I have lots of photographs from this trip to. It's amazing how much had changed from my first trip in 80' to this trip. I remember the theme parks and River County. The one thing I do remember was the lightening storm that went on while we were back at our hotel. We rented a car for this trip. My memories fade in and out on this one.
Trip #3:
My third trip was my first trip as an adult. Ten years had passed since my last trip. This one took place in August of 1999. I went with my now husband, Rick. 9 days/8 nights with an Unlimited Park Hopper Pass. We stayed at the then-named Dixie Landings Resort (it went through a name change in March of 2001). To this day I STILL don't know what made us (me) chose Disney World as our vacation destination. Truth be told I'm kind of glad we did. We had a lot of fun on that trip and while I didn't take a lot of pictures, I remember the long walks Rick and I took, the laughing, the joking, the acting like kids. We had a great time and it was sad when it was all over. Now looking back on it, it's amazing to think that it was almost 11 years ago!
Trip #4:
My fourth trip was a year later. My aunt was visiting the U.S for the first time and my father thought it would be a great idea to go on vacation. Imagine my surprise when he said Disney World! So in August of 2000, we visited Disney World yet again and were through right into the ongoing Millenium Celebration. It was very exciting. 9 days at the Walt Disney World Resort (we stayed in 3 rooms at Disney's All-Star Music). It was me, Rick, Rick's son Jonathan, my Dad, my Aunt, my sister and my brother. We decided to take two days and spend one at Sea World and another at Universal Studios. We had a great time. Lots of sun, fun, eating and drinking. I have a mountain of photos from this trip and I've started a scrapbook but never got around to finishing it. That's definitely a project for a day off down the line!
Trip #5:
This was a shorter trip (shorter than I was used to). Rick and I planned on a vacation to Disney in 2001, and after discussing it with some friends, we decided to do a couples trip. We planned on heading to Disney in November of 2001. With the actions that took place on 9/11/01, it looked as though all of our planning was for nothing. However, we decided to push through and go on vacation despite the relatively close timeline. Having gone to Disney within 8 weeks of that tragic day made us realize that there was still reason to have fun in life and to enjoy what we can. Disney's attendance took a nose dive during that season which was evident when we arrived and throughout those 5 days. To save money, Disney shut down portions of hotels and needed to do some remodeling work. However that left us without our original hotel choice (Port Orleans French Quarter). We were given rooms at the then-named Disney Institute. We were roomed in the Bungalow section of the resort. I don't remember a lot about this trip except that we did have fun and learned where a majority of the bathrooms were in the Magic Kingdom (long story!). Oh that and NEVER go on Kali River Rapids upon entering the park!
Trip #6:
It was a LLLLOOOONNNNNGGGGG time before we made it back to Disney. 6 years in fact. I had wanted to go back in 2003 to get married, but we had a bit of a surprise. That was in the form of our daughter, Isabella. Isabella was born in September of 2003 and right away I began grooming her to love Disney as much I did. Trip #6 took place in August of 2007. We left on a Wednesday morning, early in the morning. It was me, my dad, my mom, Rick, Bella, my sister and my nephew. Isabella was 3 and would turn 4 on this trip. I was excited to be getting back to my favorite place and I wanted to see Bella's face when we got there as well. It was an early start and we arrived early at the Orlando airport. This was the first year that the Disney's Magical Express Service was in use.
We arrived at our hotel, our home for the next 6 nights, a new resort by the name of Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa. Rick and I had known the place as the Disney Institute. We chose this resort because as a Disney Vacation Club Resort, it was the most reasonably priced. We had a 2-room Villa with full Kitchen, two bathrooms, 2 bedrooms and a living room/dining room. It was AMAZING!! Not so amazing was the fight that was to ensue between my husband and mother that would leave the tension so thick, it would haunt us for the remainder of the trip and the next two and a half years.
Trip #7:
This and the next two trips took place during what I referred to as the Year of Disney. 2008 was the year and in February of that year, I decided that I wanted a vacation redo. I wanted to apologize to my family (not that it was directly my fault) about the horrible incident that took place between Rick and my mother. That incident left a bad taste in my mouth and I knew we could do better. I started my basic planning and made the reservations...but for when??? after much hemming and hawing, I decided that May would work best. We went to Walt Disney World for 7 days/6 nights of fun in May of 2008. It was me, Rick, Isabella, Jonathan and my dad. Our resort of choice, Port Orleans Riverside. Rick and I had stayed here previously when it was known as Dixie Landings. We had a lot of fun, however the vacation took a weird turn when I started to feel less than well. It was a horrible feeling. I thought it was nerves or maybe it was thinking about work and how much would be waiting for me, but in the end it was something even I didn't expect.
We did have fun and I tried my best to enjoy it and the weather was hot but it was a dry hot, not like the humidity we experience at home. We left for home on a Tuesday and before I knew it, I was in the hospital on Thrusday having my appendix taken out. Not what I was expecting, but at least that was the reason I was not feeling well. I couldn't believe that it had ended like that. We had come back from vacation and that's how it ended. The next few weeks of recovery and settling back into routine were difficult and it was around the beginning of June that I got the first "sign" that another trip may be in order. The unfortunate thing was that Rick and my Dad had no interest in going again so soon. They thought that once a year was enough. Who are these people??
Trip #8:
I had played around with budgets and made a deposit on a 5 day vacation for Bella and I to tentatively go at the end of the summer, but as the deadline to pay it off loomed, I was not certain it was a good idea. One day it finally hit me. I was covering for a co-worker who was out on Maternity Leave and I wasn't having the greatest of days. It was upon returning from lunch that I took a few minutes to check my email when I saw it. It was what all of us Disney Fanatics wait for. A Disney Pin Code Email!!!! I was so excited that I immediately logged on to Disney website to price out our vacay with the discounted rates. Free dining was the promotion but I had received a pin code for the discounted room...what to do, what to do??? I called up Disney Reservations and after a brief hold...the boom was lowered on me. My reservation had been CANCELLED. WHAT????? I was ready to burst into tears. I was thinking that we could FINALLY stay at Port Orleans French Quarter. The rep I had was so nice and played around with reservations and finally came up with a good solution. She was able to comp me a room at the Animal Kingdom Lodge for the price of a moderate resort (with the discounted rate) and I could still have the free dining. Woo Hoo!!! Go me. We were going to WDW for 7 days.
I booked our flights separately (both direct) via JetBlue and got away with us getting there for $148 r/t each. That is unheard of! We flew out early on a Wednesday and were due to fly back the following Tuesday. I have to say that of all my trips, this one was one of my favorites. Bella and I could do whatever we wanted/needed to and not worry about anyone else. We could go back to the resort mid-day and just relax by the pool, go to bed really early, or go to bed really late...have breakfast and then go and do whatever we wanted. It was great! I'm hoping to do this again soon.
Trip #9:
On the heels of a successful trip with Bella, I was determined to go again but this time either with just Rick and I or alone. I've seen and heard of it being done before and was extremely tempted to try my hand at it. Rick and I hit a rocky patch and I'll be the first to admit that I was overreacting (though he didn't help). I figured a nice vacation would help maybe put the spark back into our relationship. I planned a short Thursday-Sunday trip for Rick and I leaving our 5 year old with my father. It was a great trip and Rick and I had fun, but I missed Isabella terribly. I found any chance to talk to her and my dad had his hands full. We had never been apart like that and it was hard on both of us. We returned home after a short, fun trip and with a renewed sense of togetherness. Unfortunately, upon our return home I went into a major meltdown and was hyper emotional. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I knew something was off. WAAAAYYY OFF!!
I discovered I was pregnant the day after Thanksgiving 2008. This was the cause of my hyper emotional state and why I couldn't stomach certain foods, etc. While we were excited to be expecting, my due date put a damper (temporarily) on any future Disney visits...including my wanting to visit Disney in August with Bella. Anthony Joseph was born on July 16, 2009 and we couldn't have been happier! It took about four months for the Disney bug to come back with a vengeance and around Thanksgiving 2009 we began planning our next vacation.
Trip #10:
We wanted to attempt going in January, but I'm not a fan of pulling Bella out of school unless absolutely necessary and with only a month and a half to plan, schedule time off and pay the vacation, we decided that we needed more time to plan. We settled on April 2010 since Isabella had school vacation and it was enough time to schedule our time off from work. My Dad, Rick, Isabella, Anthony and I were set to leave on April 21st, smack dab in the middle of school vacation week. We had a great time and we were able to save a bit of money by taking advantage of the free gift card promotion that Disney was doing. We received a $300 gift card which we in turn used to by our Park Hoppers for our tickets. Smart move as Disney "paid" us to jump from park to park. We enjoyed this trip as it was AJ's first and our Dining experience was excellent. We had reservations at 1900 Park Fare, Liberty Tree Tavern, the Garden Grill, 50's Prime Time Cafe. We didn't spend a lot of money out of pocket, but the trip was extremely enjoyable and kind of nice when not having to stop and shop every five minutes. We were sad to leave and unfortunately we didn't leave together. My dad and Rick took the two kids on one flight while I waited for another one...alone. I finally got back to Boston around 4pm and after waiting FOREVER to get my bags, Rick picked me up and we headed for home...but not without me thinking about our next trip!Next up: When to go, what to see, where to stay in 2011???
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