The longest drive we have ever had to make with all 3 kids has been about an 8 hour trip to North Carolina. They've always done pretty well in the car. Now we're preparing for a trip about twice as long, so it requires extra planning to keep everyone happy and comfortable. We also won't have the luxury of spacing them out more in the minivan and instead they will all have to sit NEXT TO EACH OTHER in the back seat for the entire trip. That alone may be tough for them to handle.
First of all, I've stocked up on movies for the trip. Yes, most of them are Disney movies. Even though our minivan is equipped with an entertainment system, it is old enough to be VHS-based and of course most of what we have these days is DVD-based. This is easily rendered by hooking up a portable DVD player to the system and that works just great. However, I thought it would be nice if kids could be watching different movies, so I've purchased an additional DVD system with a second external screen. This will be hooked to the back seats and only used for the entertainment of the back seat passengers. The external screen has the ability to hook up other devices, and we'll take along some TV-based battery-operated travel games to add a little fun for the trip for the boys.
We also have older Gameboy Advance systems. Along with the games we already own, I purchase a few new games the kids haven't seen yet and also some cartridges that just have tv show episodes on them. They aren't the highest quality, but they should keep the boys entertained especially.
All this talk of the boys, but what about the girl? Well she is not really interested in television or movies so much, so for her there is a bag packed with coloring books, sticker books, stickers and crayons and markers. They are contained in a small travel lap desk that I know she'll enjoy using.
Of course, there are also snacks for the trip and drinks which we'll try to keep to a minimum so we don't have to stop every hour for bathroom breaks.
I also found a cool site online that allowed me, for a small fee, to download a PDF booklet which details all exit stops from Maine to Florida along I-95. Each exit gives details about restaurants, hotels and gas stations there. This will be very helpful for those times when somebody needs a bathroom, or we need food or fuel and we'll know exactly how far we can drive to get to the appropriate exit without having to rely on those signs on the side of the road to tell us where to exit.
I also have the GPS programmed with some potential stopping points and our route to Disney is mapped out on it as well. I'll be packing some books to read for myself but I'm sure I'll keep busy trying to keep the kids busy also.
I know my husband is dreading this drive, but I'm hoping that he'll be surprised at how well everybody does for the trip. I'll be updating my mobile blog during the trip as much as possible too.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
9 Days to Go - Dining Plan Here We Come!
So it's been a while, but not too much has changed.
Ok, so it's me, and you know I have made changes.
First of all, I finally broke down and decided to schedule Noelle for some princess pampering at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. I figured
since each of the boys had their very first "professional" haircut at the Main Street Barber Shop in Disney, why shouldn't Noelle get a chance for a professional style at Disney. The prices ranged from $44.95 to (get ready for it) $179.95. Now, that last package would include a costume and accessories and her very own photo session with photos. Well, she has a perfectly good Snow White costume from Halloween and I have plenty of camera power, we opted for the middle package, because that includes nails at a price of $49.95. I think she'll be thrilled. We're having this done just a few hours before a planned dinner at 1900 Park Fare with Cinderella, so even better. I can't wait to see her face when she is being pampered by the Fairy Godmothers at Disney!
Next, after going back and forth many times I decided to bite the bullet and get the Disney Dining Plan for the first part of our stay. I know it will be way too much food, but it will still save us money based on the meals we have already scheduled for the first part of our trip. I am sure just having it to use for our meal at LeCellier steakhouse will be worth it. It will be nice to not have to really worry about buying food for the most part for those first five days of the trip. Plus, I have the Disney Dining Experience card on it's way to me as well, which will save us 20% off the rest of our restaurant meals, and includes the alcohol which I know we'll have a few times. I will be sure to save my receipts later so I can really calculate the true "savings" from our trip and share them here.
Ok, so it's me, and you know I have made changes.
First of all, I finally broke down and decided to schedule Noelle for some princess pampering at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. I figured
since each of the boys had their very first "professional" haircut at the Main Street Barber Shop in Disney, why shouldn't Noelle get a chance for a professional style at Disney. The prices ranged from $44.95 to (get ready for it) $179.95. Now, that last package would include a costume and accessories and her very own photo session with photos. Well, she has a perfectly good Snow White costume from Halloween and I have plenty of camera power, we opted for the middle package, because that includes nails at a price of $49.95. I think she'll be thrilled. We're having this done just a few hours before a planned dinner at 1900 Park Fare with Cinderella, so even better. I can't wait to see her face when she is being pampered by the Fairy Godmothers at Disney!Next, after going back and forth many times I decided to bite the bullet and get the Disney Dining Plan for the first part of our stay. I know it will be way too much food, but it will still save us money based on the meals we have already scheduled for the first part of our trip. I am sure just having it to use for our meal at LeCellier steakhouse will be worth it. It will be nice to not have to really worry about buying food for the most part for those first five days of the trip. Plus, I have the Disney Dining Experience card on it's way to me as well, which will save us 20% off the rest of our restaurant meals, and includes the alcohol which I know we'll have a few times. I will be sure to save my receipts later so I can really calculate the true "savings" from our trip and share them here.
Monday, October 22, 2007
24 Days to Go - Special Events
We've managed to be lucky enough to visit Walt Disney World at various times for some special events. So far our favorite event has been attending Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and we've managed to do that twice.
The first time was in October of 2003 and it was planned as an event we were going to attend without the kids. Since our in-laws were with us for the trip, we made plans to leave the kids with them one night and have a nice dinner and then attend the party. With the park being open until midnight, we figured the kids wouldn't tolerate that anyway.
Little did we know my mother-in-law would fall ill on that trip and they would end up leaving after only 2 days there. We made due without them by purchasing tickets for the kids to attend the party with us instead.
It worked out just fine for us. That day we had dinner at the Garden Grill with the kids. Not only did the kids have fun with the characters there but I also surprised Frank with a re-hitching ceremony where they pronounced us married again and had us kiss in front of everyone, and then brought out a cake for us to enjoy. It was fun.
That evening we hit the Halloween Party. We arrived pretty early and secured a spot on main street when the headless horseman came galloping down on the horse. It was so cool to see the park lit up for Halloween and all of the characters dressed up. The kids had bags for trick-or-treating and even though Noelle wasn't yet walking, we wheeled the stroller up to various lines so even she could get something. The park wasn't terribly crowded and we managed to watch the special Halloween parade which was very cool. I think we only stayed for a few hours, and Noelle slept for some time there, but we still had fun.
Three years later we would get the chance to enjoy the party as adults. This time Frank and I made a special 3-night trip to Walt Disney World for our 8-year anniversary. It also coincided with the Food and Wine Festival at EPCOT, which was also very nice. We ran ourselves ragged at the parks for those few days but we still had a good time. We enjoyed hitting the ride at the Magic Kingdom at night and bypassing the parade the first time. We did watch the fireworks show at the castle later in the evening and caught the parade as well. We also did a pretty good amount of trick-or-treating too. It was fun and we plan to do it again for our 10-year anniversary next year.
The Food and Wine Festival at EPCOT was also very nice. We spent one afternoon just eating and drinking our way around the World Showcase at EPCOT. We would look at the booth for each country and determine if there was anything we wanted to try, then purchase a small food item or a drink or both and share them. By the time we made it all the way around EPCOT we were no longer hungry, which was a shame because we had dinner reservations a few hours later at Narcoossee's which ended up being a fabulous meal, and I'm not saying that just because I had already had plenty to drink before we arrived. We are looking forward to returning next year to the Food and Wine Festival and this time we'll be smart about it and NOT make dinnner plans early on the night we plan to visit the festival.
This year we'll experience another special event at Walt Disney World and that will be Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. It will be cool to see the parks all decorated for Christmas and be able to see the lights and everything else which I'm sure will be great since it's Disney.
The first time was in October of 2003 and it was planned as an event we were going to attend without the kids. Since our in-laws were with us for the trip, we made plans to leave the kids with them one night and have a nice dinner and then attend the party. With the park being open until midnight, we figured the kids wouldn't tolerate that anyway.
Little did we know my mother-in-law would fall ill on that trip and they would end up leaving after only 2 days there. We made due without them by purchasing tickets for the kids to attend the party with us instead.
It worked out just fine for us. That day we had dinner at the Garden Grill with the kids. Not only did the kids have fun with the characters there but I also surprised Frank with a re-hitching ceremony where they pronounced us married again and had us kiss in front of everyone, and then brought out a cake for us to enjoy. It was fun.
That evening we hit the Halloween Party. We arrived pretty early and secured a spot on main street when the headless horseman came galloping down on the horse. It was so cool to see the park lit up for Halloween and all of the characters dressed up. The kids had bags for trick-or-treating and even though Noelle wasn't yet walking, we wheeled the stroller up to various lines so even she could get something. The park wasn't terribly crowded and we managed to watch the special Halloween parade which was very cool. I think we only stayed for a few hours, and Noelle slept for some time there, but we still had fun.
Three years later we would get the chance to enjoy the party as adults. This time Frank and I made a special 3-night trip to Walt Disney World for our 8-year anniversary. It also coincided with the Food and Wine Festival at EPCOT, which was also very nice. We ran ourselves ragged at the parks for those few days but we still had a good time. We enjoyed hitting the ride at the Magic Kingdom at night and bypassing the parade the first time. We did watch the fireworks show at the castle later in the evening and caught the parade as well. We also did a pretty good amount of trick-or-treating too. It was fun and we plan to do it again for our 10-year anniversary next year.
The Food and Wine Festival at EPCOT was also very nice. We spent one afternoon just eating and drinking our way around the World Showcase at EPCOT. We would look at the booth for each country and determine if there was anything we wanted to try, then purchase a small food item or a drink or both and share them. By the time we made it all the way around EPCOT we were no longer hungry, which was a shame because we had dinner reservations a few hours later at Narcoossee's which ended up being a fabulous meal, and I'm not saying that just because I had already had plenty to drink before we arrived. We are looking forward to returning next year to the Food and Wine Festival and this time we'll be smart about it and NOT make dinnner plans early on the night we plan to visit the festival.
This year we'll experience another special event at Walt Disney World and that will be Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. It will be cool to see the parks all decorated for Christmas and be able to see the lights and everything else which I'm sure will be great since it's Disney.
Monday, October 15, 2007
31 Days to Go - Disney Planning Spreadsheet
I'm the biggest procrastinator in the world when it comes to most things EXCEPT travel. I always plan trips way in advance, and Disney is no exception. Disney trips made with me are planned out quite a bit. See below:
This is my typical Disney spreadsheet. At the top, you'll notice the dates of travel. The next row, in light orange, are each Disney parks operating hours during that day. Park hours in the darker bold font are the parks operating under Extra Magic Hours, which means they are open earlier or closing later than normal.
The next row in the purple and yellow background are the resorts information. For this trip, we are splitting our stay between Old Key West and Saratoga Springs. We haven't had the opportunity to stay at either one of these resorts in the past, though we've visited both before.
The next row with the light green background shows the planned parks for that day. These are always subject to change depending on weather and other factors, so it's just a guideline and some of these are due to restaurant dining reservations.
The next few rows are just open places for different information. The yellow background in these rows are planned tours. For this trip we have planned a Family Magic Tour one morning and Frank will dive at EPCOT on another day. The light blue background indicates our dining reservations. These are restaurants where we have secured ADRs - Advanced Dining Reservations. I indicate in these blocks the time of the reservation, the restaurant, it's location, the number of people as well as the ADR number that was assigned when I made the reservation. This comes in handy if I ever have to call back Disney for any changes as sometimes they have trouble looking it up by name or phone number. I have a green background block do indicate the day that we plan to attend Mickey's Very Merry Christmas party this year also, and a gray block to indicate the day other people will arrive to join us, specifically my brother and his girlfriend on this trip. The last row contains times for other special evening events, such as nighttime parades, fireworks, etc. including the Wishes fireworks show at the Magic Kingdrom and Fantasmic! at MGM Studios. There is also Illuminations at EPCOT in the evening but that is usually run at the same time every night, where Wishes and Spectromagic can change times depending on the park hours.
I'll make several copies of this in a final version and distribute them to be used during our trip to make sure everyone knows our gameplan. I don't expect everyone in our group (which will be 11 people at it's maximum) to have to follow this exactly. Dining reservations are there if they want to join us on some dates, but they certainly don't have to if they want to try something else.
This is my typical Disney spreadsheet. At the top, you'll notice the dates of travel. The next row, in light orange, are each Disney parks operating hours during that day. Park hours in the darker bold font are the parks operating under Extra Magic Hours, which means they are open earlier or closing later than normal.
The next row in the purple and yellow background are the resorts information. For this trip, we are splitting our stay between Old Key West and Saratoga Springs. We haven't had the opportunity to stay at either one of these resorts in the past, though we've visited both before.
The next row with the light green background shows the planned parks for that day. These are always subject to change depending on weather and other factors, so it's just a guideline and some of these are due to restaurant dining reservations.
The next few rows are just open places for different information. The yellow background in these rows are planned tours. For this trip we have planned a Family Magic Tour one morning and Frank will dive at EPCOT on another day. The light blue background indicates our dining reservations. These are restaurants where we have secured ADRs - Advanced Dining Reservations. I indicate in these blocks the time of the reservation, the restaurant, it's location, the number of people as well as the ADR number that was assigned when I made the reservation. This comes in handy if I ever have to call back Disney for any changes as sometimes they have trouble looking it up by name or phone number. I have a green background block do indicate the day that we plan to attend Mickey's Very Merry Christmas party this year also, and a gray block to indicate the day other people will arrive to join us, specifically my brother and his girlfriend on this trip. The last row contains times for other special evening events, such as nighttime parades, fireworks, etc. including the Wishes fireworks show at the Magic Kingdrom and Fantasmic! at MGM Studios. There is also Illuminations at EPCOT in the evening but that is usually run at the same time every night, where Wishes and Spectromagic can change times depending on the park hours.
I'll make several copies of this in a final version and distribute them to be used during our trip to make sure everyone knows our gameplan. I don't expect everyone in our group (which will be 11 people at it's maximum) to have to follow this exactly. Dining reservations are there if they want to join us on some dates, but they certainly don't have to if they want to try something else.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
37 Days to Go - Character Meals
We've had the fortune of being able to eat at many different character buffets during our visits at Disney. Even when we go without the kids, there are still some meals that I insist on attending.
My favorite character dinner buffet is the Crystal Palace with Pooh and friends at the Magic Kingdom. First of all, you are eating at the Magic Kingdom and some tables even have a view of the castle. What could be better? However, the food there is really quite good for buffet and I especially enjoy the prime rib and the shrimp, but everything is always good. I think we've done this particular buffet for at least our last 3 or 4 trips.
We've had breakfast at the Crystal Palace also, but I'm not a huge breakfast eater anyway so I can do without it. It's still good though.
My next favorite character meal has to be Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary, if only for the fun atmosphere that takes over the place. Most of the time we've had breakfast there and really enjoyed it. We had dinner once and I wasn't as impressed with it, but for our upcoming trip we'll try dinner again just because he fits better into our schedule and I figured we should give it another shot. We always have our photo taken there and purchase it too.
Another favorite breakfast character meal is O'Hana at the Polynesian. I love the pineapple bread they serve here. This is a family-style meal, meaning they just bring the food in a big plate to your table and pick and choose what you want to eat and can order more of anything. It's now been changed to include Lilo and Stitch, so we have plans to do this one again for our upcoming trip to see the new characters. I guess this means we may not see Chip, Dale or Goofy now, but we'll have to wait and see.
One other character meal we've done a few times in the past is the Garden Grill for dinner. This is located at EPCOT and the entire restaurant rotates with great views of some of the fish tanks. This is another family style meal, and it's not recommended for larger parties because the seating isn't made to accommodate them, but we've enjoyed a few meals there and the character interraction has been great. This is also where the perform the re-hitching ceremony so if you are celebrating an anniversary you should have that done there. It's cute.
Of course, the other character meal that is worth doing at least one time is eating in the castle at Cinderella's Royal Table. We've had the good fortune of securing this for breakfast about 3 or 4 times in the past, though the prices continue to increase so much there that even though I had a reservation this time around I just couldn't bring myself to pay that kind of money for BREAKFAST. Yes, it is truly wonderful to be eating in the castle and looking out over Fantasyland. You will most likely get a visit from a few princesses too. It used to be that Peter Pan would also show up and a few others, but we didn't see him on our last visit there. The food was really good. It's all-you-can-eat but it's preplated so they bring each person a plate full of food and you can have more of anything. If you only get to Disney one time, it's worth it to try to get this meal experience. However, you ABSOLUTELY have to book this one exactly 180 days in advance of the day you want to attend. You need to call the number for Disney dining (407-WDW-DINE) beginning just before 7am at the 180 day point and be quick about telling the person that finally answers that you want Cinderella's Royal Table for breakfast at this date and time. I'm not sure if we'll do it again in the future with the prices so high now, but I'm glad each of our kids have had the chance to experience it once.
For our upcoming trip next month, we're trying out a few new buffets mixed with our old favorites. In addtion to Chef Mickey's for dinner, Crystal Palace for dinner and O'Hana's for breakfast, we're also going to attempt the Princess Storybook Lunch at Akershus in EPCOT one day and Cinderella's Gala Feast at 1900 Park Fare for dinner.
One of the highlights of any Disney trip for us is the meals. Yes, they are pricey but we always enjoy them and having the opportunity to sit down and relax at a table meal every so often after spending all day on your feet roaming the parks is well worth it.
My favorite character dinner buffet is the Crystal Palace with Pooh and friends at the Magic Kingdom. First of all, you are eating at the Magic Kingdom and some tables even have a view of the castle. What could be better? However, the food there is really quite good for buffet and I especially enjoy the prime rib and the shrimp, but everything is always good. I think we've done this particular buffet for at least our last 3 or 4 trips.
We've had breakfast at the Crystal Palace also, but I'm not a huge breakfast eater anyway so I can do without it. It's still good though.
My next favorite character meal has to be Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary, if only for the fun atmosphere that takes over the place. Most of the time we've had breakfast there and really enjoyed it. We had dinner once and I wasn't as impressed with it, but for our upcoming trip we'll try dinner again just because he fits better into our schedule and I figured we should give it another shot. We always have our photo taken there and purchase it too.
Another favorite breakfast character meal is O'Hana at the Polynesian. I love the pineapple bread they serve here. This is a family-style meal, meaning they just bring the food in a big plate to your table and pick and choose what you want to eat and can order more of anything. It's now been changed to include Lilo and Stitch, so we have plans to do this one again for our upcoming trip to see the new characters. I guess this means we may not see Chip, Dale or Goofy now, but we'll have to wait and see.
One other character meal we've done a few times in the past is the Garden Grill for dinner. This is located at EPCOT and the entire restaurant rotates with great views of some of the fish tanks. This is another family style meal, and it's not recommended for larger parties because the seating isn't made to accommodate them, but we've enjoyed a few meals there and the character interraction has been great. This is also where the perform the re-hitching ceremony so if you are celebrating an anniversary you should have that done there. It's cute.
Of course, the other character meal that is worth doing at least one time is eating in the castle at Cinderella's Royal Table. We've had the good fortune of securing this for breakfast about 3 or 4 times in the past, though the prices continue to increase so much there that even though I had a reservation this time around I just couldn't bring myself to pay that kind of money for BREAKFAST. Yes, it is truly wonderful to be eating in the castle and looking out over Fantasyland. You will most likely get a visit from a few princesses too. It used to be that Peter Pan would also show up and a few others, but we didn't see him on our last visit there. The food was really good. It's all-you-can-eat but it's preplated so they bring each person a plate full of food and you can have more of anything. If you only get to Disney one time, it's worth it to try to get this meal experience. However, you ABSOLUTELY have to book this one exactly 180 days in advance of the day you want to attend. You need to call the number for Disney dining (407-WDW-DINE) beginning just before 7am at the 180 day point and be quick about telling the person that finally answers that you want Cinderella's Royal Table for breakfast at this date and time. I'm not sure if we'll do it again in the future with the prices so high now, but I'm glad each of our kids have had the chance to experience it once.
For our upcoming trip next month, we're trying out a few new buffets mixed with our old favorites. In addtion to Chef Mickey's for dinner, Crystal Palace for dinner and O'Hana's for breakfast, we're also going to attempt the Princess Storybook Lunch at Akershus in EPCOT one day and Cinderella's Gala Feast at 1900 Park Fare for dinner.
One of the highlights of any Disney trip for us is the meals. Yes, they are pricey but we always enjoy them and having the opportunity to sit down and relax at a table meal every so often after spending all day on your feet roaming the parks is well worth it.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
43 Days to Go - My daughter's first Disney trip
In September of 2003, we planned a Disney vacation for our family once again. This time we'd be taking my daughter, age 11 months, for the very first time. This would be my son's second trip at age 3.5 and my in-laws were joining us again. It was going to be great fun.
I managed to get a great deal on 7 nights at the Polynesian Resort hotel. They special they were running was 7 nights for the price of 4 and it was such a great bargain that we even upgraded both rooms to a Lagoon View room. I requested a view of the Magic Kingdom and we had two great rooms located right on the water where we could view Cinderella's Castle in the distance.
The morning after our first night there, my son awoke bright and early. It was still dark outside but in the distance we could see the castle, changing colors every few minutes and he and I just sat there and watched together. I captured this on video as well. It was truly a magical moment, one of many we would have during the trip.
Unfortunately, after our second day there, my mother-in-law became very ill. We ended up booking her and my father-in-law on a flight back home on day three. We spent the rest of our vacation without them but still managed to have a great time.
Our plans to go to Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween party on our anniversary without the kids were changed to include the kids, but that was fine. The kids had a great time there at night, being able to ride many rides with very few lines and trick-or-treating. We also still managed to have our anniversary dinner at the Garden Grill in EPCOT where we were presented with a small cake and they had a rehitching ceremoney for us too. It ended up being a great 5-year anniversary.
As for my daughter, being so young at Disney wasn't a problem for her at all. No, she wasn't able to walk yet, but she was content to ride in the stroller. She fell asleep in my arms plenty of times, usually in the loudest places. I think she fell asleep during the Universe of Energy ride amongst all of the loud noises and she also fell asleep during the Tarzan ROCKS show.
However, seeing her interract with the characters there was truly something special. We had several Character meals planned, including Chef Mickey's, the Crystal Palace and O'Hana as well as the Garden Grill for our anniversary. Noelle could not get enough of each and every character that approached her and they seemed to love her too. She was picked up by Minnie Mouse for a photo. She touched noses with Mickey Mouse. It was just so great to watch her light up and smile and laugh at each character. See for yourself here:
Kids with Characters at Disney in 2003
So whenever people tell me they don't want to take their kids until they are older, I just think how lucky we were to be able to take our kids at such a young age. The memories we have of them there are priceless.
I managed to get a great deal on 7 nights at the Polynesian Resort hotel. They special they were running was 7 nights for the price of 4 and it was such a great bargain that we even upgraded both rooms to a Lagoon View room. I requested a view of the Magic Kingdom and we had two great rooms located right on the water where we could view Cinderella's Castle in the distance.
The morning after our first night there, my son awoke bright and early. It was still dark outside but in the distance we could see the castle, changing colors every few minutes and he and I just sat there and watched together. I captured this on video as well. It was truly a magical moment, one of many we would have during the trip.
Unfortunately, after our second day there, my mother-in-law became very ill. We ended up booking her and my father-in-law on a flight back home on day three. We spent the rest of our vacation without them but still managed to have a great time.
Our plans to go to Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween party on our anniversary without the kids were changed to include the kids, but that was fine. The kids had a great time there at night, being able to ride many rides with very few lines and trick-or-treating. We also still managed to have our anniversary dinner at the Garden Grill in EPCOT where we were presented with a small cake and they had a rehitching ceremoney for us too. It ended up being a great 5-year anniversary.
As for my daughter, being so young at Disney wasn't a problem for her at all. No, she wasn't able to walk yet, but she was content to ride in the stroller. She fell asleep in my arms plenty of times, usually in the loudest places. I think she fell asleep during the Universe of Energy ride amongst all of the loud noises and she also fell asleep during the Tarzan ROCKS show.
However, seeing her interract with the characters there was truly something special. We had several Character meals planned, including Chef Mickey's, the Crystal Palace and O'Hana as well as the Garden Grill for our anniversary. Noelle could not get enough of each and every character that approached her and they seemed to love her too. She was picked up by Minnie Mouse for a photo. She touched noses with Mickey Mouse. It was just so great to watch her light up and smile and laugh at each character. See for yourself here:
Kids with Characters at Disney in 2003
So whenever people tell me they don't want to take their kids until they are older, I just think how lucky we were to be able to take our kids at such a young age. The memories we have of them there are priceless.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
52 Days to Go - My very first Disney trip
I honestly don't really remember much about my very first Walt Disney World trip. As my mom tells the story, she basically decided one night she wanted to go, they packed up the Chevy Nova hatchback and she told my dad they would drive until my brother and I had had enough and then they would stop.
We went from Maryland to Jacksonville before we stopped.
I remember staying at the Dutch Inn, a resort which had a pool shaped like a windmill. I believe this was the same place where I chose to climb outside the balcony rails and HANG there with my arms hooked in the balcony rails behind me. This, as you can imagine, scared my mom when she saw me, at about age 5, standing outside the balcony on a ledge a few inches wide and hanging there. Rather than scare me, she went back inside, called my name, and I climbed back onto the balcony and came inside.
I can remember my mom teaching me how to count and say a few phrases in French as we were riding the bus. It's strange how I can remember that for some reason.
I don't remember much about Disney itself. I'm sure I enjoyed it though. I'm not sure we have too many pictures. Not like the hundreds I take now on just about every trip. It's crazy but I can't stop taking photos. I loved to look back through the albums and revisit our trips though.
We went from Maryland to Jacksonville before we stopped.
I remember staying at the Dutch Inn, a resort which had a pool shaped like a windmill. I believe this was the same place where I chose to climb outside the balcony rails and HANG there with my arms hooked in the balcony rails behind me. This, as you can imagine, scared my mom when she saw me, at about age 5, standing outside the balcony on a ledge a few inches wide and hanging there. Rather than scare me, she went back inside, called my name, and I climbed back onto the balcony and came inside.
I can remember my mom teaching me how to count and say a few phrases in French as we were riding the bus. It's strange how I can remember that for some reason.
I don't remember much about Disney itself. I'm sure I enjoyed it though. I'm not sure we have too many pictures. Not like the hundreds I take now on just about every trip. It's crazy but I can't stop taking photos. I loved to look back through the albums and revisit our trips though.
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