22 days to go Pre-trip report

[dolphinmickey9170]

Still three weeks away, but I'm getting so excited, I just needed to share with someone.

This has been one looooong summer. I took the semester off from nursing school because I needed a break……Break? What break? What am I doing? WORKING…….No fun…no sun; except for our 4 day weekend trip to Maine to see my family, Katy’s boyfriend, Josh, and another family that I met here on Intercot -- John and Karen (DWHUBBY and DisneyWhirled). They have become a very special part of our family. We have such a great time when we are together.

As for the no fun…no sun comment, I have been working 4 and 5 twelve hour shifts per week since we returned from our May trip. Let’s face it; I could really use the extra money for the DDP (it’s going to be $1500 for two weeks). It’s really tough working 12 hour shifts because you don’t always get out on time, then the ride home (thank goodness I live within 5 miles of work), fix dinner, clean up, shower, wind down and try to get to sleep before midnight, just to get up by 5am and do it all over again the next day. Ben has been working extra hard as well. He does his four shifts (2 days, 2 nights) for the city fire department, and then works 3 shifts for a private company. So, he works 7 days on – one day off, for each eight day rotation. UGH!! A well deserved vacation, hopefully full of R&R. Yeah, right…me rest?….relax? That is too funny! I’m not so sure I know how to rest, but Karen said I didn’t do too badly on our last trip.

We considered driving, however, the few extra dollars it would cost to fly is well worth every penny compared to how yucky I would feel when we arrived in WDW (it takes 12 hours to get there by car). What helped was I had a credit from my last ding fare to use, so this saved us $108. Yeah!! So our $801 round trip tickets for the three of us, plus Keara who flies free, only cost me $693. Still kind of high when you compare the price we paid for our last trip ($489), but at least with Southwest we don’t have to pay more for our checked luggage. So, I’ll take it. Besides, we will feel much better and less tired when we arrive in MCO at 8:15 am.

We will be spending time with another family we met here on Intercot, Kathy (kakn7294) and Phil and their DDs from PA. We met them last August during a mini meet and have been chatting ever since making the plans for this trip together. We look forward to making many memories with Kathy (Kakn7294) and her family. Kathy has been working very hard and has made Keara a beautiful Alice in Wonderland dress for a special breakfast we will be attending together. She also made a dress for her daughter. Kathy has some awesome talent in the sewing department!! Thanks so much Kathy….I can’t wait to see the girls in their matching dresses.



Now, on with the show………….
We are one very large cast of characters for this trip!!

Me – 37 – three weeks shy of my 38th birthday!
Ben – 43 – just a big kid at heart – We are celebrating our 2nd anniversary
Katy – 17 – wishing her cutie, Josh, could be with us – he’s going next trip with us
Keara – 22 months – her 4th trip to WDW
Kathy (kakn7294), Phil, Steph and Megan from PA – lovers of all things Pittsburg!
Will (Wilful) and Shannon, Magic Never Ends Podcast, from Baltimore, to be known as MNE from here on out
Keegan, Adventures of a Teenage Disney Geek and his little sister Podcast, Mattie; with parents Matt and Phyllis, to be known as the Dysfunctional Super Family (DSF) from here on out

Aug 10th – Flying out from BWI at 605am…we will land in MCO at 815am, DME to VWL check-in, hopefully scoring a tour with “Stan,” our Garden Grocer delivery should arrive, then to AK to meet up with Kathy…then to Epcot for TeppanEdo dinner with MNE & DSF, then to EMH at MK til 2am. Not sure if we will make it that long as we will have been up since 330am.

Aug 11th – Epcot day with mini meet at 2pm at the Margarita Stand in Mexico, Pick a Pearl (our first time) and LeCellier dinner with Kathy, Phil, Steph and Megan.

Aug 12th – DHS day, MUST do Toy Story Mania, Sci-Fi for dinner then over to Epcot’s EMH. Today, I am having an anniversary surprise edible arrangement delivered to our resort for Ben.

Aug 13th – 1900 Park Fare breakfast with Kathy and family, staying at the MK then Crystal Palace dinner with Kathy and family. Then possibly over to DHS EMH.

Aug 14th – Not really planning much today, we’ll see what transpires after our O’Hana breakfast with MNE & DSF. Then dinner at Cape May with MNE & DSF and then to Epcot’s EMH. **Slight change of plans, we are now going to check out the Adventurers Club after dinner.

Aug 15th – Epcot day with Akershus breakfast, our second mini meet at 2pm at the Norway Bakery then Coral Reef dinner with Kathy and family, then to MK for EMH til 2am with MNE & DSF, I think!?!

Aug 16th – MK today then a Chef Mickey’s breakfast and dinner with MNE and friends from the Disney Podcast Network – this is their last full day. Do you think CM twice in one day is overkill? Nah.

Aug 17th – Epcot today, all of our friends leave today. Then we are going back to VWL for a swim and some rest, watch the water pageant and Katy and I will try to do MK EMH til 3am while Ben and Keara sleep. We shall see.

Aug 18th – AK today with Boma for dinner then DHS EMH.

Aug 19th – Ben and I have breakfast plans at Capt. Cooks while Katy and Keara hang at the resort. Then we will take a surry bike to FW. This should be a relaxing day with Trails End Buffet for dinner.

Aug 20th – DHS today, Welcome Home Wednesday @ BW, then Winter Summerland for Mini golf. No TS meals planned

Aug 21st – AK today with dinner at The Wave.

Aug 22nd – MK today with dinner at GF Café. This is our last full day.

Aug 23rd – Checkout, do whatever strikes us, DME will pick us up around 430pm. We will need to use up remaining snack credits.

There will be NO ALARMS set, with the exception of our breakfast ressie days. I want this to be a relaxing, take your time, kind of trip. We’ll wake when our internal alarm clock goes off. But honestly….It seems I am not able to sleep past 730 anyway. I guess it is just the excitement!! Why sleep when you are in the happiest place on earth.

I plan to take a true account in comparing dollars to dollars on the dining plan. I want to see if the new plan saves us any money, or if we should just bag the DDP in the future. So be looking for this report upon our return!!

This is gonna be great!!


Sorry....it's kind of long, but thanks for reading!! WOOHOO!!

[faline]

What fun! I always look forward to your trip reports so certainly hope you post when you return!

[Lizzie]

Looks like a great plan and lots of yummy food. Have a great trip.

[Goofeygal]

I have 16 days to go till I will be in the world. Have a great trip and post a report when you get back.

[wdwgrl377]

Sounds great! I enjoyed reading your last trip report and can't wait to read all about this one when you get back! I'm excited for you and your family!

[Bethanymouse]

WOW!!! You do deserve a vacation! I am so glad that you are getting the chance to get away and meet up with everyone. Thanks for the invite to the mini meet. It is on our agenda and I really hope that we can make it!!!!! I could use a margarita! Thanks again for the invite! Have a magical trip, we hope to see you down there!

[DisneyWhirled]

Sounds wonderful!! Great plans!!

Kathy-those dresses are gorgeous!!!!! You are so talented! It was nice to see Megan in her dress, too.

[#1disneyfan]

Sounds like a great trip you have planned!

Maybe will pass you in the parks, we are in the parks the 12th-17th.

Have fun and can't wait to read your reports when you return.

[Young@Heart]

Wow! That sounds like a great trip!!! And it sounds well-deserved. Have fun!

[McGoofy]

Hey Kristen! Didn't you just get back from WDW? I don't know who is worse...you or me. One of us always seems to be going down. We wouldn't be working all of these 12 hours shifts if we couldn't go to WDW would we? I am sitting here right now with 2 hours left to go on a night shift. You are going to have a blast, and you totally deserve it!!!! You sure have met a lot of Intercot people! Maybe we'll time it just right to meet one day! Have some crazy fun!

[tinkerbell04]

Kristen,
Your trip sounds fabulous! The only thing that would make it better is if we were going too! Can't wait for the trip reports and maybe even live reports?!?!?

[shan-ash]

Have a wonderful time

[dolphinmickey9170]

Kristen,
Your trip sounds fabulous! The only thing that would make it better is if we were going too! Can't wait for the trip reports and maybe even live reports?!?!?

I will surely try to give a live report here and there. I wish you could come too!!

Hey Kristen! Didn't you just get back from WDW? I don't know who is worse...you or me. One of us always seems to be going down. We wouldn't be working all of these 12 hours shifts if we couldn't go to WDW would we? I am sitting here right now with 2 hours left to go on a night shift. You are going to have a blast, and you totally deserve it!!!! You sure have met a lot of Intercot people! Maybe we'll time it just right to meet one day! Have some crazy fun!

We do work too much. But that's how we pay the bills to go to WDW!! We do need to plan to meet some day. Maybe you can make it to the October Baltimore Inner Harbor Meet!!

Sounds like a great trip you have planned!

Maybe will pass you in the parks, we are in the parks the 12th-17th.

Have fun and can't wait to read your reports when you return.

Do you think you might be able to make our mini meet on the 15th in Epcot @ 2pm in Norway? That would be !!

[McGoofy]

We do work too much. But that's how we pay the bills to go to WDW!! We do need to plan to meet some day. Maybe you can make it to the October Baltimore Inner Harbor Meet!!

I feel honored....you would invite this Southern Carolina Girl to attend the Baltimore meet! I would so do it. However, once again I am just missing you. I will be there the last week of September. Any plans for December by chance? Oh, I just noticed that you have question marks by May. We are planning to use our brand new DVC points at Kidani Villas when my son gets out of school in May 2009.

[dolphinmickey9170]

I feel honored....you would invite this Southern Carolina Girl to attend the Baltimore meet! I would so do it. However, once again I am just missing you. I will be there the last week of September. Any plans for December by chance? Oh, I just noticed that you have question marks by May. We are planning to use our brand new DVC points at Kidani Villas when my son gets out of school in May 2009.

Yeah, Tara, I think we are now going May 25-June12 and probably not July. And we also, will be going to Kidani Villas. Maybe the planets will align for us!!

[RedSoxFan]

Have A Wonderful Time.

[McGoofy]

Yeah, Tara, I think we are now going May 25-June12 and probably not July. And we also, will be going to Kidani Villas. Maybe the planets will align for us!!

Oh WOW! You are going to be there a long time! But guess what???? The planets are alligning!! We plan to be there May 24-29--maybe the 30th--but definitely through the 29th. (We are trying to determine if we want to use points for that Saturday or not.) So we have some of the same dates and the same DVC property--it's a sign--we must meet! We are going to try to book a studio for our dates that day next month when they start taking ressies for Kidani Villas. YEA!!!

[dolphinmickey9170]

Oh WOW! You are going to be there a long time! But guess what???? The planets are alligning!! We plan to be there May 24-29--maybe the 30th--but definitely through the 29th. (We are trying to determine if we want to use points for that Saturday or not.) So we have some of the same dates and the same DVC property--it's a sign--we must meet! We are going to try to book a studio for our dates that day next month when they start taking ressies for Kidani Villas. YEA!!!

It IS a sign!! WOOHOO!! I can't book until the 7 month (Oct I think) window as we own at SSR.

[DizNee143]

wow..you guys def do deserve a vacation..and possibly a vacation after your vacation..since youll be doing so much!! hope you have a great time..cant wait to read about how it all went!!

[castlelady36]

Can't wait to meet all of you on the 15th!! Hope we can all get a ride on the Maelstrom!! It would have been really fun to have arranged a meal at the Biergarten for all of us!! See you then!!