dolphinmickey9170
05-04-2008, 08:49 PM
Well, here we are, another semester almost over (4 more days of class) and another fabulous vacation is upon us. This time, things will be a little different. We are taking this vacation with some friends we met last year at our mini-meet in August. DisneyWhirled (Karen) and DWHubby (John) and their two beautiful children will be joining us for a majority of this trip. We arrive and depart a few days earlier than they do, but a lot of fun has been packed into the time we DO have together.
This has been a very long winter/spring and we are soooooo ready to get out of here and just chill! What....CHILL? ME? In Disney World? How do I chill? I never seem to be able to find downtime at WDW. I have never been one who can sit still for a second. I preplan everything from parktime to meals to pooltime. I know, a bit OCD but that's just how I work. Well, my new friends, John and Karen, are teaching me how to "wing it," so to speak. Karen will show me how to wake up and just decide where to go and what to do that day. Although, I will still tell you what my original plan is for each day, but expect that my trip reports may show something a little different. Can I give up the obsessiveness of planning and just go with the flow? We shall see!
We really need this vacation. Ben has been working so hard just to make this happen. Just as our previous reports have told you, he works as a firefighter for the city and works 2 - 10 hour days and 2 - 14 hour nights, off for 24 hours and then works 3 - 12 hour days and right back into the 4 days again, so he works 7 days in a row. He works so hard, just for us to be able to make so many trips. I work 3 - 12 hour days and go to school 2 days a week. So -- WE NEED A BREAK!! No work, no school, just disney fun. Well, almost no school. Keep reading.
THE CAST
ME - Kristen - 37 - Huge Disney fan - I eat sleep and dream about all things Disney. So fanatical that I drive Ben nuts with my constant talk of disney this and disney that.
DH - Ben - 43 - Fell in love with Disney on his very first trip (for our wedding at the Poly in 2006). He loved it so much, he bought me DVC for our wedding.
DD - Katy - 17 - Loves Disney almost as much as I do. She takes care of our DGD everyday while her mommy (Jenn) works.
DGD - Keara - 19 months - Loves Mickey, Tinkerbell and Pooh.
My last class is actually May 14th, but we have tickets to the Red Sox at Orioles at 3pm. I am craving some Boog's Pit Turkey! YUMMY!! Then early to bed as we have an early day tomorrow.
Thursday, May 15th - We must be out the door by 4am to get to BWI on time, get checked in and through security for our 6:05am flight. We should land @ 8:15am and will head right for DME. Once we get to OKW and check in, we will catch a bus to Blizzard Beach to play two rounds of minigolf at Winter Summerland. Since it's half price for AP holders, why not play both courses. Then we will catch a bus to Beach Club to share a Beaches burger and onion rings. Then we'll head to DtD for Ghirardelli'a ice cream. Then we will take the boat back to OKW to chill (what, did I just say chill?). Garden Grocer should have delivered by now, so we need to get our diapers, diet pepsi and other yummies from bell services. Then we'll head for MK for a little bit until it's time to check in at California Grill just before Wishes. We'll meet up with friends Will and Shannon from the Magic Never Ends podcast. I think after that, we should head for bed. We should be good and exhausted after this long day.
Friday, May 16th - After breakfast in our room, we head for AK. We'll do CS at Yak and Yeti or Flame Tree and just enjoy the park and all it's animal magnetism. Gotta do E:E, FOTLK, and I must see Nemo - We have yet to see this one. Then we'll catch a bus to Epcot. John and Karen arrive this afternoon and are going to LaNouba and hopefully will be able to catch up with us during EMH. Can you believe it, I didn't plan dinner? Hmmm, I must think of something quick.:blush:
Saturday, May 17th - This am, the guys are playing golf at LBV near SSR. They will meet up after breakfast and the girls and kiddies will meet for AM EMH at DHS. We plan on hitting Playhouse Disney as Keara is infatuated with these shows. She sings, dances and laughs everytime the shows are on. We will find CS for a light lunch somewhere then head to the Poly for dinner at O'Hana. Then off to Epcot to wander WS. After Illuminations, we'll take the children to J&K's room at BWV and the adults will head for Jellyrolls. This will be a first for Ben and I so we are really looking forward to some adult time. Something we seem to never be able to find time for. THANK YOU KAREN!!!! You are a genious. We can't stay out too late as we have an early start to the next day.
Continued Below............
This has been a very long winter/spring and we are soooooo ready to get out of here and just chill! What....CHILL? ME? In Disney World? How do I chill? I never seem to be able to find downtime at WDW. I have never been one who can sit still for a second. I preplan everything from parktime to meals to pooltime. I know, a bit OCD but that's just how I work. Well, my new friends, John and Karen, are teaching me how to "wing it," so to speak. Karen will show me how to wake up and just decide where to go and what to do that day. Although, I will still tell you what my original plan is for each day, but expect that my trip reports may show something a little different. Can I give up the obsessiveness of planning and just go with the flow? We shall see!
We really need this vacation. Ben has been working so hard just to make this happen. Just as our previous reports have told you, he works as a firefighter for the city and works 2 - 10 hour days and 2 - 14 hour nights, off for 24 hours and then works 3 - 12 hour days and right back into the 4 days again, so he works 7 days in a row. He works so hard, just for us to be able to make so many trips. I work 3 - 12 hour days and go to school 2 days a week. So -- WE NEED A BREAK!! No work, no school, just disney fun. Well, almost no school. Keep reading.
THE CAST
ME - Kristen - 37 - Huge Disney fan - I eat sleep and dream about all things Disney. So fanatical that I drive Ben nuts with my constant talk of disney this and disney that.
DH - Ben - 43 - Fell in love with Disney on his very first trip (for our wedding at the Poly in 2006). He loved it so much, he bought me DVC for our wedding.
DD - Katy - 17 - Loves Disney almost as much as I do. She takes care of our DGD everyday while her mommy (Jenn) works.
DGD - Keara - 19 months - Loves Mickey, Tinkerbell and Pooh.
My last class is actually May 14th, but we have tickets to the Red Sox at Orioles at 3pm. I am craving some Boog's Pit Turkey! YUMMY!! Then early to bed as we have an early day tomorrow.
Thursday, May 15th - We must be out the door by 4am to get to BWI on time, get checked in and through security for our 6:05am flight. We should land @ 8:15am and will head right for DME. Once we get to OKW and check in, we will catch a bus to Blizzard Beach to play two rounds of minigolf at Winter Summerland. Since it's half price for AP holders, why not play both courses. Then we will catch a bus to Beach Club to share a Beaches burger and onion rings. Then we'll head to DtD for Ghirardelli'a ice cream. Then we will take the boat back to OKW to chill (what, did I just say chill?). Garden Grocer should have delivered by now, so we need to get our diapers, diet pepsi and other yummies from bell services. Then we'll head for MK for a little bit until it's time to check in at California Grill just before Wishes. We'll meet up with friends Will and Shannon from the Magic Never Ends podcast. I think after that, we should head for bed. We should be good and exhausted after this long day.
Friday, May 16th - After breakfast in our room, we head for AK. We'll do CS at Yak and Yeti or Flame Tree and just enjoy the park and all it's animal magnetism. Gotta do E:E, FOTLK, and I must see Nemo - We have yet to see this one. Then we'll catch a bus to Epcot. John and Karen arrive this afternoon and are going to LaNouba and hopefully will be able to catch up with us during EMH. Can you believe it, I didn't plan dinner? Hmmm, I must think of something quick.:blush:
Saturday, May 17th - This am, the guys are playing golf at LBV near SSR. They will meet up after breakfast and the girls and kiddies will meet for AM EMH at DHS. We plan on hitting Playhouse Disney as Keara is infatuated with these shows. She sings, dances and laughs everytime the shows are on. We will find CS for a light lunch somewhere then head to the Poly for dinner at O'Hana. Then off to Epcot to wander WS. After Illuminations, we'll take the children to J&K's room at BWV and the adults will head for Jellyrolls. This will be a first for Ben and I so we are really looking forward to some adult time. Something we seem to never be able to find time for. THANK YOU KAREN!!!! You are a genious. We can't stay out too late as we have an early start to the next day.
Continued Below............