Jan 2010-PTR First Timer & a B-Day!

[disneykid@hrt]

Hello there, my fellow Disney fanatics!:mickey: So 3 days before our waaaaaay too short trip to the World in October, my beautiful wonderful intelligent hilarious mother calls me and says “Have you seen this deal they’ve got going on at Disney?” No, mom I haven’t been stalking everything Disney since July- I was in the process of planning our October trip- but I swallowed my sarcasm because I saw that this conversation could end up going in a very magical direction… “Oh, you mean the buy 4 get 3 free deal?! Oh yeah, that looks Fab. Why? Did you want to get us that for Christmas, or something?” (Insert fake laugh to disguise the desperation.) “Well yeah, I was thinking about it. Why don’t you and the kid come over here so we can look at it?” My mom lives three minutes away, people… I made it there faster than you can say “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!!!” (Thank God for Wikipedia. Oh, Copy & Paste, too. And I remember when I was little I knew how to spell that…)

So we book January 10-17th at Port Orleans-Riverside with the buy 4, get 3 deal- and paid just as much as we did for 3 nights at ASMovies in October. We had a great time on that trip- but I really wish that I would have known we’d be going back so soon and saved that money to use this trip. Oh well- I’m going back! I did my usual “I’m going to Disney World” Dance- that I’ve performed in my mother’s living room many a time. This will be the longest trip I’ve taken to Disney in 15 years!! You mean we’ll actually have time to sit down?! LOL. Growing up I had to tour with Commando Mama- I remember running- literally running to Space Mountain at rope drop. I don’t remember there being the nice but firmer CM’s escorting you to rides that I have heard described here, we were actually running through the Magic Kingdom!! Anyway- never again! I don’t tour that way- and neither do I have a desire to. And I will never put my daughter through that! There are ways to do incredibly memorable things at a non-stressful pace. I hate feeling rushed, I get stressed out and anxious pretty easily, so I try to avoid it. Yeah, I’ve stood in line to see famous people for hours - Yeah, I do Black Friday at 4 AM, in the cold to get my kid cool toys with all the other crazy people. But I try not to get stressed out about it. That being said- my last few trips have only included 3 whole days in the parks. Yah, 4 parks, 3 days. First trippers and toddlers. No bueno. So this trip is going to be so incredible- 7 whole days! There will be no rushing: That’s my rule number 1!

[disneykid@hrt]

So we had the room and the tickets taken care of for me (27), DH Brandon (25), and my-HOW COULD I FORGET TO MENTION??? This week that we are going to DW just happens to include my Brie’s second birthday!! YAAAYYY!! (Lucky little girl!!) On our last trip all we could think about was how much my 6 year old step-son would absolutely love the place- so we added him! Double YAY! His first trip!! But then I started looking at flights- four seats, the cost of a rental car(invaluable on our last trip), and baggage fees (I pack waaaay too much)- NO WAY. We couldn’t afford all of that and so we decided to drive. I found some cheap not-shady hotels and asked my step-dad to get me a tune-up for Christmas. I’ve got a Chevy, baby, and we’re hittin’ the road! It’s an 18 hour drive, but my parents used to do it so I can too, darnit! So here’s the basic itinerary:

Friday- January 8th
We’re actually going to have a little birthday party for Brielle. She has an amazing amount of cousins her age and my best friend had a baby at the same time I did so she’s got her little BFF! I figure I’ll let her and Little Brandon run around Chucke Cheese’s to their little hearts content! Come home- unload presents, load up luggage- and go to bed.

Saturday- January 9th, 2010
Leave home around 6:30 AM. Well it will really be more like whenever I get up- could be 4 or 5, but 6:30 at the latest. We plan on putting the kids to bed in their traveling clothes and carrying them to the car. (Heck, who am I kidding? I may end up carrying DH to the car!) The kids are getting Disney movies for Xmas to watch on the ride down. I also found this cool road-trip Bingo thing at Pier 1 that is great. It has pictures of the items you are looking for- so I think my Brie-Brie will be some competition for us. We were going back and forth on whether or not to get DSS a DS or something for the trip, but decided against it. He has an Xbox at his mom’s. We want him to be comfortable and entertained, but we also want him to be involved in the World around him. So… we will trade off driving until we reach Valdosta, GA. It’s a 15 hour trip, and we plan on stopping and stretching those kids out as much as we can.

Sunday- January 10th
Leave Valdosta for POR!
Mapquest says its about a 3 hour trip. Can anyone confirm or deny this?
If so, we will leave no later than 8 am. But this time I want the kids to be awake and dressed appropriately. LOL. We have ADR’s for 3:35 at Hollywood & Vine- the F! Package. NONE of us has ever seen F! so it should be pretty exciting.

Monday- January 11th
I’m seeing AK in the AM and EPCOT in the PM. We may end up going back to DHS to try and hop on TSM if we are unsuccessful the first night. Everytime I try to plan which park we will go to each day it never ends up this way, so I am not promising anything. I usually like to start with the Magic Kingdom because the first site of the castle and I’m THERE!! Tears and all! But we decided we would save that for Brie’s birthday which is…

Tuesday- January 12th- Brielle’s Second Birthday
My how time flies… 2 years? Really?? Anyway…
Brie and I will be at MK at rope drop. I’m not going to pressure “the Brandon’s” to get up if they don’t want to. I love when it’s just me and my little girl anyway… So we will do all of her funness. I just measured her the other day and she is just shy of 35”. The kid is sprouting like a weed or however the saying goes! So maybe we’ll get to hit the Barnstormer. Cross your fingers. We’ll head back to POR in the afternoon. Take a nice birthday nap and get all spiffy for:
Birthday Dinner at Cali Grill!! We have 7:15 ADR’s and Wishes is at 8 that night, so I’m hoping we’ll get to see that. I also have ordered a custom cake!! It is an 8” Mad Hatter style cake with fondant and edible flowers! I’m really excited about it!! I called Contemporary Private Dining to order it and it is costing me $100!! Whoooooa!!! I know, I know… I know. I’ll tell ya when I get back if it was worth it! I see myself ordering a salad that evening. I also found this great handmade Minnie Mouse themed tutu-dress on the internet. It’s hot pink, has Brielle’s, name on it… It even has a matching birthday hat!! I have to post a picture, it made me cry when I opened the box!

So, I’ve got the dress, got the reservation, got the cake… now if somebody could tell me how to score a window seat I’ll be in heaven!!

After a great birthday, and hopefully great cake… we’ll call it a day.

Wednesday-
Brie and I have ADR’s for Breakfast with the Princess’s in Norway at 9:20 in the morning. Santa’s bringing her a Snow White dress and shoes for Christmas that he found for 50% off the day after Halloween for her to wear to this. It should be awesome.
SO we’ll hang out at Epcot for sure and wait for the boys to join us.

Thursday January 14th
We have dinner at Chef Mickey’s at 6:35 so I see us hitting up Magic Kingdom early afternoon or Animal Kingdom early.

Friday- January 15th
No plans. Go and do our faves… We like to Hop.

Saturday- January 16th
DTD. 3:00 ADR’s for T-rex. Little Brandon will love this, I hope.
Shop, shop, shop! I also want to do the hot air balloon thing. Orlando has never seen cold like we have here, so I’m not worried about the temperature.
I’m sure we’ll hit a park before, after, or both.

Sunday, leave as early as we came in… L
Stop in Chattanooga, TN.

Monday, January 18th
Make the rest of the sad trip home. Which I’m hoping there will be filled with excited stories from the backseat recapping the magical week we all just shared together!

[disneykid@hrt]

What I’m most looking forward to:
Our SuperCaliforniaGrillicious Birthday Dinner- hopefully with Wishes in the background.
Little Brandon’s reaction to the Magic.
Fantasmic! For the first time.
Princess Breakfast- just us 2 girls.
TSM and refurbed Space Mountain.
Having 7 whole days to soak it all in!!!

Concerns:
Is there ever enough money??
No Splash Mountain, darnit.
We are having “Baby Mama Drama.” Little Brandon’s mom is skeptical about him missing 6 whole days of Kindergarten. Waaah. But, tonight we made some major progress with her and I’m confident that within the next month we can get her…

Sorry to be so long-winded. I just sat down to write this and it all came spewing out. It may be a result of DH saying he’s heard enough. It has to be a “big deal” before I share it with him anymore!! But that’s what I’ve got so far. The “Disney closet” is full. The checklists are getting checked. I wish I could start packing but most of the clothes are under the tree!! Seriously all of Christmas is stuff for the trip!

Wish us luck. I’ll be sure to post a trip report when we get back. :thumbsup:

[coneygoil]

I have done the "running to a ride at rope drop". It was '95 and I was 13, the first time we'd ever gotten to MK before rope drop. I was waiting in Adventureland right against the rope. When the CM came to open it, I took off leaving my parents behind. I glanced behind me around where the Magic Carpets are now and saw a sight I will NEVER forget. About 20 strollers were on my heels! It scared the heck out of me! I would have been trampled. Thank goodness adrenaline kicked in and I survived! I made it to Splash Mountain unscathed and second in line :D

[KylesMom]

What a great surprise - and you have "the plan". :thumbsup: Yeah, it sure is amazing how the flights & rental car can drain the budget quickly. If it weren't for my back, we'd probably be contemplating that drive, too!


Leave Valdosta for POR!
Mapquest says its about a 3 hour trip. Can anyone confirm or deny this?
When we've stayed at the Days Inn in Valdosta, it usually took us a tad under 3 1/2 hours to get to our on-property resort.

While you'll miss Splash this time around, at least you'll get to hit Space Mountain! I know you guys will have a wonderful trip!:mickey:

[wildernesslady]

Have a wonderful time.

[disneykid@hrt]

I have done the "running to a ride at rope drop". It was '95 and I was 13, the first time we'd ever gotten to MK before rope drop. I was waiting in Adventureland right against the rope. When the CM came to open it, I took off leaving my parents behind. I glanced behind me around where the Magic Carpets are now and saw a sight I will NEVER forget. About 20 strollers were on my heels! It scared the heck out of me! I would have been trampled. Thank goodness adrenaline kicked in and I survived! I made it to Splash Mountain unscathed and second in line :D

SEE!!! Quite a memory isn't it?!

[disneykid@hrt]

When we've stayed at the Days Inn in Valdosta, it usually took us a tad under 3 1/2 hours to get to our on-property resort.


That's where we're staying! Days Inn Convention Center- and for under 50 bucks! :thumbsup:

Thanks for the well wishes!

[BluewaterBrad]

Have a GREAT time!! Hope the days go fast!:mickey:

[faline]

Wow! I'm already excited for you and your family! What a great trip you'll have!