Our 1st time & Only Trip to WDW

[Ribeyespud]

I know what we're gonna do today Ferb!..uh, er..I mean Karen today we're gonna go to Disney's Hollywood Studios and once again hace breakfast with the Einsteins..hmmm since it's so close to Halloween I wonder if they will be dressed as the "Frank-Einsteins" after breakfast it time to watch some shows we want to see like "Beauty and the Beast", "The Little Mermaid", or my personal favorite, trying to get Karen to ride "The Tower of Terror". Today is the day we go to the "Sunset Culture Club" store to have a Disney artist design a sketch for both our tv room's wall as well as a "man-ly" watch for me...Seriously would like a picture of Peter Pan and the phrase "Forever Lost Boy" or "Official Lost Boy" next to my name or something like that....After spending time collecting pressed pennies and laughing at Karen's feeble excuses for not setting one foot into the elevator on "Tower of Terror" all day, it's off to the "50's Prime Time Cafe" for some good old fashioned home cookin' and some fried chicken. I'm hopin' for some good tasting veggies so that I'll have no problem cleaning my plate and thus achieving the goal of attaining desert...and a new button for my trowsers or a new hole in the end of my belt...and/or both...After dinner pretty sure we'll head back to our pirate room at the Caribbean Beach Resort to count pirate swag, enjoy the hammocks, swim in a Pirate pool and rest for tomorrow....Big Doin's Goin' On Ya Know

[Ribeyespud]

*Yaawwnn...stretch...October 31st will be all about sleeping in, enjoying the hammocks, and getting ready for the Halloween party. Since it's Halloween I have heard rumours that there is merchandise that is only available on this day....does anyone know if this is true?...After spending my vacation stash on a Peter Pan sketch with watch... not to mention the Halloween Party shirts, pressed pennies, and Mickey Mouse Chocolate bars, I don't know how much I will be able to buy, but I'm kinda thinkin' it's probably down to a paperclip, tumb tack or a slightly used Magic Kingdom map....but still, doesn't hurt to look. We have an 11:30 lunch reservation at the Coral Reef for one last memory of the fish tanks and some kind of fish for lunch...definately open to suggestions if you have any...If any of the wait staff is open to trading a light up tinkerbell for either a paper clip, tumb tack, or even a slightly used Magic Kingdom map then I'll score at least one more goodie to take home. After lunch it's off to do the front park of Epcot and do things we haven't done yet in "The Land, Seas, and become members of a team of space travelers in "Mission to Mars". a late dinner at the Garden Grill is for two very cool reasons...um, I mean other than the food, being close to Soarin' and the chance of seeing farmer Mickey...I love the fact that the restaurant slowly rotates around in a circle and hugging Pluto!!! Have you ever noticed how incredibly soft he is? I could pet that puppy all day just to feel his soft fur...maybe last time I caught him right after a flea bath, but I sure had fun looking at his name tag, getting a picture, a lick and a hug...oh by the way 28 days, 45 min,18 seconds till we're at Disney World...not that I'm counting....After dinner it's off to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Partyand catching our favorite rides one more time before our vacation ends on Nov 2nd. Doing the party 3 times hopefully will give us the time needed to get the autos, pictures, and soak in all the atmosphere to build a last-for-ever-memory in our soon to be going home to the "real" world mode and all its responsibilities.Thankfully we still have one full day left but that's for another post...

[SusieQ]

Sounds like you're going to have another fantastic trip

[snerd475]

So sorry we're just gonna miss you. We are arriving on Nov 3rd. Can't wait to get the scoop when you get back!

[Ribeyespud]

Oh Mannn...it would have been nice to meet you and your family...Hope you have some good family time

[MinnieMommie]

How wonderful to see such a strong marriage! We have 7 children and we managed to take our first 6 ,3 times. Our youngest child will turn 14 in May and has been to the World every year since he was 3. It's much easier to take 1 than 6 !! He has never lost his love for Disney, I was diagnosed with cancer last summer and we've had to cancel the last 3 trips to the World, I pray that I will have the oppourtunity to take him again to our favorite place. Make sure you find a way to go more often, you never know what life has in store.

How fortunate your family is to have you. You sound so dedicated to your family and their happiness. It must be quite an ordeal taking 6 kids to the parks. I applaud you!

I agree that we never know what life has in store for us so we should celebrate each day and celebrate each other every day. I will keep you on my prayers and offer my best wishes for your recovery.

[MinnieMommie]

This is an inspirational thread. Thank you for sharing your story!

[B.O.B]

I hope you enjoy your trip, it sounds like you've got some magical things lined up!

We attended the party 2 years ago so I am not really sure if anything has changed. The one thing that I remember is that usually we are present for all open hours of the parks and go all day. My one regret is that I don't dance and even if I did my feet were hurting too bad to dance since I had left my most comfortable shoes at home by accident.If I had it to do over I would have left the park, gotten some rest and returned back rejuvenated in time for the party. They have different places set up with music playing where you can dance and characters will join you. Giveaways of necklaces were scattered around the parks as well. I remember there were special photo opportunities set up, one of which was near small world with the princess carriage. The fireworks were slightly changed for the party. A little pre-planning can also save some money as Halloween will come and go before your trip. If you plan on dressing as a pirate or princess for the party you may be able to find some outfits in the post Halloween sales. They do have some modestly priced(for an amusement park) pirate gear in the park sold at the Pirates of the Caribbean exit shop but you should be able to do better with a sale.

Thank you for your service to our country!

[Ribeyespud]

Before I share our plans for our last full day at disney World, I feel it's important to remember something my dad told me many years ago. It's a simple saying, but I believe it carrys alot of weight...By him saying "I once thought I was poor because I had no shoes until I met a man with no feet" he taught my heart the importance of being thankfull for what ever blessings we have. Anyone and any species that understands this I believe understands life as it was intended to be. To have the ability to see a half glass of water as being half full instead of half empty when life hands us sour grapes is a gift and one not to be taken lightly. To all who have read this thread and know what I mean, it's you who inspire me as you continue to inspire those in your lives. I stand in awe and reverance of you and am so glad we can share something so simple and yet so special as our child like belief in a mouse and a place to go where everything is magical and anything is possible. Anyway...as my Pre-trip report is coming to a close I contacted the Photo Pass website and they told me it would be ok to post the book I made for our last trip (and this trip too), so once this thread winds down I will be posting my Photopass books for anyone who may want to see how the books look and who may be interested in looking at doing a book of their vacation. Now then, we were just getting ready to talk about our last full day in Disney World....

[Ribeyespud]

Since this is our last full day at Disney World we will be spending it at the Animal Kingdom just strolling around after breakfast at the Tusker House with Donald and the gang, stealing a hug for the road from Daisy and maybe a dance with Goofy (no, not Karen....the "Other" Goofy ). We're hoping to see "The Lion King" show, parade, and look close at the tree of life, and more than likely after the park closes pack up all the goodies we have bought and have them shipped home through our Resort so that we don't have to worry about traveling with them. Dinner on this night is the with Cinderella, her sisters and her Step Mother at 1900 Park Fare at "The Grand Floridian Resort". Once dinner is done, it's off to enjoy the rest of the evening just unwinding in our room...I think...hmmm...still haven't been to Downtown Disney yet...Ohhhh Kaarreenn...Honey?...Wake up already...No?...Shut the light off and come to bed?...Yes dear......ZZzzzzzzz.

[johnO]

looks like another great WDW trip in store for you Ribeyespud

[Ribeyespud]

And on this day...Nov 2, 2011...this very day, Karen and I will thank the 2nd star to the right and God for allowing us to come back to Disney World for the 2nd time...after a hardy breakfast at 1900 Park fare at "The Grand Floridian Resort" and hopefully a hug goodbye from the Mad Hatter and Alice and a wink and a nod of approval from Mary Poppins we will sadly wave Goodbye as we remember how blessed we have been over the past 25 years to just have each other, let alone being able to come to Disney World twice in a life time....I look forward to posting our trip report and our PhotoPass book...Special thanks to Photopass for allowing me to do this...I hope you enjoy it...we sure did...

[Wolf]

Omg!! Reading this made me tear up, I hope you guys have the most unbelievably amazing trip ever! I would be willing to sacrifice a little magic from my trip next week just to add more to yalls if I could! I don't have any advice except my thought on the Pirate and Princess party, I'm a huge halloween nut and even when we've had the option of doing the Halloween party twice in one trip we didn't because it takes alot of time and we tend to park bounce alot. Its totally worth it so I'm certain the Pirate and Princess party will be as well! Also don't worry too much about rain, it's still going to be warm and Florida rain isn't too bad. Plus when it rains the parks then out alot so you can walk onto alot of the rides!

[Joannelet]

This is one of the most memorable and inspirational threads I have ever read! Life is such a treasure and Disney is such a wonderful dream come true! I hope you have a wonderful 2nd vacation! We will be there the same time as you! Going to the party on the 23rd so if you see a very pregnant blonde girl that is me! Lol Have a magical trip!

[Ribeyespud]

Thanks for your thoughts guys Joannelet, at the party Karen & I will have white sweatshirts with our names on the front and The Mickey Mouse Club Logo on the back....we'll also be wearing Mickey Ears...and smiles....I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I am "trying" to post our 1st disney Photopass book from 2008. This has pictures from the last year of the Pirate and Princess party and a story about being young again thanks to Tinker Bell's pixie dust...um,...not so much a computer whiz, so I don't know how to make the pictures big enough to read, but hopefully you can find the pictures on my homepage alright. Just Click on my name by the Peter Pan picture above and then click on view my Homepage...it's in the album called Disney Shirts...The 1st 7 pages are there now ...well, "8" if you count the one I posted twice

[Ribeyespud]

Thanks for your thoughts guys Joannelet, at the party Karen & I will have white sweatshirts with our names on the front and The Mickey Mouse Club Logo on the back....we'll also be wearing Mickey Ears...and smiles....I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I am "trying" to post our 1st disney Photopass book from 2008. This has pictures from the last year of the Pirate and Princess party and a story about being young again thanks to Tinker Bell's pixie dust...um,...not so much a computer whiz, so I don't know how to make the pictures big enough to read, but hopefully you can find the pictures on my homepage alright. Just Click on my name by the Peter Pan picture above and then click on view my Homepage...it's in the album called Disney Shirts...The 1st 7 pages are there now ...well, "8" if you count the one I posted twice

I just finished putting on the rest of the PhotoPass book I made for our 1st Trip to Disney World. To see it all, look under the Sub-Catagory "Disney Shirts" all 20 pages are there...Now that I'm all done posting pre-trip stuff what am I gonna do with the rest of the 14 days I have to count down till our 25th anniversary trip...Sigh...(but in a good way)

[Ribeyespud]

Wow, I can't believe it has been over 3 months since I last posted about our "up and coming" trip". Here's the 1st thing I learned this time around: if you go to Disney World around the holidays and think that you can go back to your everyday life and have the energy to get ready for Christmas and the new year and have the strength to get everything done, step back into your money paying job AND post all your memories from the best vaccation ever you're as mad as a hatter I am truly sorry for taking so long to share, you guys have definately been in my thoughts. So having said that.....here's what I remember and always will remember from our 10 days....Sunday October 23, 2011 when we arrived at the Carribean beach Resort check in office I went right to the "online check in" line and it was a breeze. Our room was all ready for us and since it was a pirate room I felt right at home once I checked the room for Alligators and Florida snakes. Hey, I may be a Pirate, but my Daddy in Iowa didn't raise no fool, we have rabbits and deer in Iowa and they behave like gentlemen, soooo anyway our room had a great feel to it and was close to a pool and I could see a lake like body of water, so my Pirate sword was kept at the ready....sure it was made of plastic and came from Cinderella's Royal table, but still....so once we freshed up a little bit (and tucked a towel under the bathroom door...take that you snake-y snakes) we headed over to The Magic Kingdom for our Dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table. I had it all worked out with the staff at Cinderella's Castle that when we were seated at our table that I would excuse myself to go to the bathroom and meet up with the Dining Manager by the bathrooms where I gave her the Tinkerbell ring I bought for Karen's surprise. Since I bought her a glass slipper last time we were at Disney World, the Castle staff sent me some pictures of some Cinderella carriages they found at Abbruba Brothers and I picked one that was the size of a ring box that the ring could be presented in. So we were all set up for after dinner....Whew....I snuck back to our table (by the window...YAY!)and acted like nothing happen other than going to the bathroom...Karen did mention that I go to the bathroom alot...just wait till you get older...So anyway the Waiter totally rocked and brought our menus for the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party Dinner which I am looking at even at this moment of typing. So the waiter asks us what we would like for our appetizers and Royale Entrees (it IS a Royale Castle ya know) and goes along on his merry way and as we are looking around soaking in the surroundings Karen notices that other waiters are asking what other guests want for dessert and we didn't get asked....YIKES! I had to do some fast thinking and made some feable excuse that "I'm sure that he'll ask us", I thought about excusing myself to go to the bathroom, but didn't want to miss the Princess arrivals....Yah, I'm a cool Pirate who likes all Disney Princesses...besides Snow White would be there and I couldn't miss that. So after sharing with the Royal "Guests", Snow White, Ariel, Belle, and Sleeping Beauty, and sharing two Appetizers together (Cheese plate and rock shrimp cocktail) and a great beef tenderloin, the waiter starts to clear our table and Karen asks the waiter what kind of dessert we have to choose from. It was at this point I looked at the waiter as if to say "HELP! My mind just shut down and I got Nothin! He looked at me as if to say "Dude, I got this" and smiled and said he would bring a plate over and she could pick what she would like from the choices. At that moment he became my hero. So he leaves and comes back with a big white covered plate and lifts the white dome off and places it on the table. There on a bed of beautiful red rose petals is the ring in the carriage and he hands me the ring and steps back. I tell Karen the truth that years ago I didn't want to live without here and that because I couldn't come home from the Army I had to ask her to marry me on the phone and that I knew it wasn't every girls dream to be proposed to over the phone. I immediately got down on one knee and asked her to spend the rest of her life with me...this time she didn't hesitate and said yes...and her bottom lip quivered so I knew I just did the right thing....and earned some serious brownie points (He shoots, he scores) The room clapped, laughed, and a few had tears in their eyes....I think 'cause they knew I was wondering how I was gonna get back up off my knee...The castle provided a personal photo pass fella to take pictures AND they gave us a Cinderella and Prince charming Snow globe with Prince Charming kneeling with a glass slipper on a pillow next to Cinderella. We drank sparkling apple cider from our engraved castle flutes, and the waiter took a rose petal and "popped" it in his hands, the crowd clapped, then he took the rest of the rose petals and threw them up over our heads where they fluttered down around us. The crowd REALLY clapped for us...I was speechless. The guy from the table next to us came over and told me I was the man and that he thought I did perfect and he was fighting back tears...geeze louise, that made me feel special...so anyway a good time was had by all....and then we left for our 1st Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party

[MizMissy]

Wow ... what an INCREDIBLE (yes, I was yelling, sorry ... couldn't help myself ) beginning to your trip.
I had tears in my eyes reading about your proposal. Beautiful. Just beautiful.

I cannot wait to read more!

[EeyoresBestFriend]

It's so awesome to have you back to the boards and even better to hear that you have conquered all of the bumps in the last few years. Pixie dust and Disneys Magic certainly fills the heart and soul to guide us back to that magical place, doesn't it?

I truly hope that life will provide you with the opportunity to do it all again sometime soon.

Can't wait to hear the rest of the report!!

[Christine]

Wow. I'm speechless (and that NEVER happens! )
This is probably the loveliest thing I've ever read! What a phenomenal story!!

Wishing you & karen All the best!!